.^V: 


■^iil33NVSOV"^ 


c^ 


^\'. 


i%  ^QF-CAr 


i.QF-CAIlFOP,i>        AOf- 


.^WtUNIVERi-ZA.       ^lOSANC[lfj> 


.4*' 


^ 


^WEUNI^ 


% 


d^ 


^ 


'^^M'NIVrn^';  ,vl05-A'^nFlfj^  .vxT-IIRRARY/). 


mon.i'. 


^.riFfAiirn;?,/ 


...nr  rAiiFfiPi 


CI 


,Ml'^ 


^ 


^ 


aWEDNIVERS-//) 


^ 


'A- 


'fj 


■'/^d3AlNa 


C3 


% 

55 
^  so 


^% 

.^WEyMV[R% 

L- 

-,      '^ 

r 

.§.  ._  ^  ^ 

c 

:^- 

AS 

^.r 

</„ „.,  ^xX^ 

icj 


x\T.-L!BRARYac 


.^V.MINIVEPy//^        .xVWS-ANCflfj^ 


0^ 


"^^ 


:^ 


^^WEUN1VER%       .vVWSANCElfX/ 
5  LJ^ziv  o     ti 


r^  OC 


) 


O        i-C 


.0]^^     '^aaAiNamv' 


,^,OFCAIIFO%       ^-aQFCALIF 


^Y(?/-.       ^;^U!BRARY<?A^ 


,? 


2  V  -^ 


33 


^ 


^; 


AM^ 


-o)i 


■'^/^'ii^AhNa 


■v^: 


.OflAI!1^0% 


'4r 


'%. 


•n-lN^^ 


0/:  .A\\EUM!VERy/A 


'VCFlfr. 


.n^.I.!!^RARY^/-         -^lllBRARYa 


u?  i 


Th: 


tl'»  last  date     *  'Tip' 


SOUTHERN  BRANCn, 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

LIBRARY, 

l-OS  ANGELES.  CALIF. 


St.  Rliiio  Pass,  between  WInthrop  Glacier  and  Interglacier.     View  from  North  side. 


"THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  'GOD'" 

Illustrated  with  maps  and  140  views  of  Mt.  Rainier  (Tacoma), 
including  eight  three-color  half-tones. 


In  stout    boards,   with   colored    half-tone  view  of  the   Mountain   and 

North  Mowich  Glacier  in  a  storm,  on  front  cover        -  -  -         $I.0()  net 

By  mail,  12  cents  extra 

In  heavy  paper  co\  ers,  with  poster  design  of   the   Mountain   in  colors 

and  gilt,  embossed $0.50  net 

By  mail,  7  cents  extra 


Published  by 
JOHN  H.  VVILLI.A.MS.        -   -         T.A.COM.\,  W.^SHINGTON. 


Sunrise  abo%  e  the  clouds,  seen  from  Camp  Curtis,  on  the  Wedge,  with  White  Glacier  below. 


T 


HE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS 

''GOD"  ^  BEING  A  LITTLH  BOOK 
ABOUT  THE  GREAT  PEAK  WHICH  THE 
INDIANS  CALLED  "TACOMA"  BUT  WHICH 
IS  OFFICIALLY  NAMED  "RAINIER"     .<     .< 


BY 

JOHN  H.  WILLIAMS 


O,  rarest  miracle  of  mountain  heights. 

Thou  hast  the  sky  for  thy  imperial  dome, 

And  dwell'st  amon^  the  stars  all  days  and  nights, 

In  the  far  heavens  familiarly  at  home. 

—  William  Hillis  Wynn:  "Mt.    Tacoma;  an  Apotheosis. 


TACOM.V 

Published  by  the  Author 
1910 


G0945 


Narada  Falls,  175  feet,  nith  Eagle  Peak.     It  has  been  proposed  to  change  the  name 

to   Cushnian    Falls,    in   recognition   of   the   late   F.  W.  Cushman's  work  in 

Congress  for  the  Government  Road,  which  passes  near  the  falls. 


Copyright,  1910  by  John  H.  Williams 


^vV^ 


v^ 


p- 


'  :^' 


>*^ 


y* 


On  the  suinniit  of  liajilc  Rock  in  winter.     Boys  looking  o\cr  an  SIMI-loot  precipice. 

FORPTWORD 

Every  summer  there  is  demand  for  illustrated  literature  describing  the  mountain 
variously  called  "Rainier"  or  "Tacoma."  Hitherto,  we  have  had  only  small  collections 
of  pictures,  without  text,  and  confined  to  the  familiar  south  and  southwest  sides. 

The  little  book  which  I  now  offer  aims  to  show  the  grandest  and  most  accessible 
of  our  extinct  volcanoes  from  all  points  of  view.  Like  the  glacial  rivers,  its  text  will 
be  found  a  narrow  stream  flowing  swiftly  amidst  great  mountain  scenery.  Its  abundant 
illustrations  cover  not  only  the  giants'  fairyland  south  of  the  peak,  but  also  the  equally 
stupendous  scenes  that  await  the  adventurer  who  penetrates  the  harder  trails  and  climbs 
the  greater  glaciers  of  the  north  and  east  slopes.  No  book  will  ever  be  large  enough 
to  tel!  the  whole  story.  That  must  be  learned  by  summers  of  severe  though  profitable 
toil. 

The  heroic  features  which  the  ice-streams  have  carved  upon  the  face  of  Mount 
"Big  Snow,"  with  their  fascinating  "parks"  and  flower-fields,  their  silvery  cascades  and 
gray  glacial  torrents,  are  every  year  becoming  more  friendly  to  visitors.  Each  summer 
sees  more  and  better  trails.  The  capital  highway  built  by  Pierce  County  through  the 
Nisqually  valley  to  the  Forest  Reserve  and  the  road  made  by  the  government  engineers 
up  to  the  Nisqually  glacier  and  the  Paradise  country  have  already  opened  a  wonderland 
to  the  automobilist.  Both  these  roads,  however,  should  be  widened;  and  the  government 
road  should,  by  all  means,  be  continued  around  the  Mountain,  crossing  the  canyons 
below  each  glacier,  and  winding  up  to  the  glorious  table-lands  above.  It  will  be  a  great 
day  for  the  lover  of  the  mountains  when  Congress,  awakening  to  the  value  of  the  whole 
Park,  shall  make  it  easy  to  know  all  the  charm  and  insi)iration  of  this  priceless  national 
playground. 

The  title  adopted  for  the  book  has  reference,  of  course,  to  the  Indian  nature 
worship,  of  which  something  is  said  in  tlic  opening  chapter.  Both  the  title  and  a  small 
part  of  the  matter  are  reprinted  from  an  article  which  I  contributed  last  year  to  the 
New  York  Evening  Post.  Attention  is  called  to  the  tangle  in  the  names  of  glaciers  and 
the  need  of  a  definitive  nomenclature.  As  to  the  name  of  the  Mountain  itself,  that 
famous  bone  of  contention  between  two  cities,  I  greatly  prefer  "Tacoma,"  one  of  the 
several  authentic  forms  of  the  Indian  name  used  by  different  tribes;  but  I  believe  that 
"Tahoma,"  proposed  by  the  Rotary  Clul)  of  Seattle,  would  ho  a  justifiable  compromise, 
and  satisfy  nearly  everybody.  Its  adoijtion  would  free  our  iiaiioiial  map  I'loin  one-  more 
of  its  meaningless  natiies  —  the  name,  in  this  case,  of  an  midisiinuuished  foreign  naval 
officer  whose  onlv  connection   with   our  historv   is   ihf    tart    iliai    lie   fought    against    us 


8  THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT   WAS  "GOD' 

during  the  American  Revoluiion.  Incidentally,  it  would  also  free  me  from  the  need 
of  an  apology  for  using  the  hybrid  "Rainier- Tacoma"! 

The  purpose  of  the  book,  however,  is  descriptive  rather  than  controversial.  Its 
plan  leaves  most  of  the  story  to  the  illustrations,  with  their  explanatory  "underlines." 
I  have  cut  down  the  text  in  order  to  make  room  for  the  largest  possible  number  of  pic- 
tures. In  selecting  these,  several  thousand  negatives  and  photographs  have  been  exam- 
ined. The  ones  used  here  include  many  noteworthy  views  never  before  shown  in  any  ijub- 
lication  —  pictures  that  tell  a  great  story.  Conditions  met  by  every  photographer  of 
ice  scenes  make  it  difficult,  sometimes,  to  obtain  perfect  copy  for  the  engraver.  The 
collection  as  a  whole,  however,  is  as  representative  as  can  be  made  till  some  of  the 
glaciers  shall  have  been  more  fully  explored.  Owing  to  the  disproportion  of  cuts  to 
text,  it  has  not  always  been  possible  to  follow  a  logical  order  in  placing  the  illustrations; 
but  the  full  descriptions  given,  together  with  the  map,  will  aid  the  reader  to  form  a 
clear  idea  of  the  geography  of  the  National  Park  and  the  characteristic  aspects  of  the 
peak.  I  shall  be  grateful  for  correction  of  any  errors,  and  for  information  as  to  photo- 
graphs that  may  add  to  the  value  of  future  editions. 

Many  of  the  illustrations  show  wide  reaches  of  wonderful  country,  and  their  details 
may  well  be  studied  with  a  reading  glass. 

I  am  much  indebted  to  the  librarians  and  their  courteous  assistants  at  the  Seattle 
and  Tacoma  public  libraries;  also  to  Prof.  Flett  for  his  interesting  account  of  the  flora 
of  the  National  Park;  to  Mr.  Eugene  Ricksecker,  of  the  United  States  Engineer  Corps, 
for  permission  to  reproduce  his  new  map  of  the  Park,  now  printed  for  the  first  time; 
and,  most  of  all,  to  the  photographers,  both  professional  and  amateur.  In  the  table  of 
illustrations,  pages  11  to  13,  credit  is  given  the  maker  of  each  photograph. 

The  book  is  sent  out  in  the  hope  of  promoting  a  wider  knowledge  of  our  country's 
noblest  landmark.  May  it  lead  many  of  its  readers  to  delightful  days  of  recreation  and 
adventure ! 

Tacoma.  June  1,  1910.  J.  H.  W. 


The  Mountain  from  Puyalliip  River,  near  Tacoma. 


W  hite  Glacier  and  Little  I  ahoma.  «  ith  Kastern  end  of  the  Tatoosh  in  distance. 

CONTEXTS 

Page 

I.     Mount  "Big  Snow"  and  Indian  Tradition  15 

II.     The  National  Park  and  How  to  Reach  It   37 

III.  The  Story  of  the  Mountain 68 

IV.  The  Flora  of  the  Mountain  Slope-s,  by  Prof.  J.  B.  Flett  90 

V.     The  Climbers  102 


CupyriKlit,    UHKI.   by   .\      i  '       ,\ 
Basaltic  Columns,  part  of  "the  Colonnade"  on  south  side  ot  South  Mowich  Cjlacier.     These  curious  siv-sided   columns 
of  volcanic  rock,  about  I5U  feet  high,  are  similar  to  those  bordering  the  Cowlitz.  Glacier. 


Crevasses  in  Stevens  Glacier,  with  Cowlitz  Glacier  and  the  Cowlitz  Park  country  beyond. 


View  from  above  Sluiskin  Falls,  at  3  p.  in. 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Titles  marked  *  indicate  engravings  made  from  copyriglited  photographs.    See  notice 
under  the  illustration. 


THREE  -  COLOR    HALF -  TONES 

Title.                                                                                                               Photographer.  Page. 

Spanaway  Lake,  with  Reflection  of  the  Mountain A.  H.  Barnes.     Frontispiece 

View  from  Electron,  Showing  West  Side  of  the  Mountain   Asahel  Curtis.  19 

View  Northward  from  Top  of  Pinnacle  Peak Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  46 

Looking  Northeast  from  Slope  of  Pinnacle  Peak  Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  47 

*  Ice  Cave,  Paradise  Glacier A.  H.  Barnes.  57 

*  Spray  Park  from  Fay  Peak  W.  P.  Romans.  76 

Crevasse  in  Carbon  Glacier Asahel  Curtis.  85 

North  Mowich  Glacier  and  the  Mountain  in  a  Storm George  V.  Caesar.  95 

ONE  -  COLOR     HALF  -  TONES 

St.  Elmo  Pass  A.  W.  Archer.  2 

Sunrise  above  the  Clouds,  at  Camp  Curtis Asahel  Curtis.  2 

Narada  Falls  and  Eagle  Peak A.  II.  B.irnes.  6 

On  the  Summit  of  Eagle  Rock  in  Winter George  V.  Caesar.  7 

The  Mountain  from  Puyallup  River  . B.  L.  Aldrich,  Jr.  8 

White  Glacier  and  Little  Tahoma   Asahel  Curtis.  9 

*  Basaltic  Columns  near  end  of  South  Mowich  Glacier A.  H.  Waite.  9 

Crevasses  in  Stevens  Glacier,  with  Cowlitz  Glacier  Beyond Charles  Bedford.  10 

View  from  above  Sluiskin  Falls,  3  p.  m Mrs.  H.  A.  Towne.  11 

From  above  Sluiskin  Falls,  4  p.  m.,  same  day Mrs.  H.  A.  Towne.  13 

*  The  Mountain  from  Lake  Washington Romans  Photographic  Co.  14 

*  Lost  to  'the  World   Asahel  Curtis.  15 

Snow  Slopes,  Upper  Moraine  Park George  V.  Caesar.  15 

Iron  and  Copper  Mountains  in  Indian  Henry's   A.  G.  Bowles.  .Ir.  It". 

Ice  Terraces,  South  Tahoma  Glacier  Rodney  L.  Glisan.  Iti 

*  North  Peak  and  South  Mowich  Glacier  in  Storm A.  H.  Waite.  17 

"Ghost  Trees"  Mrs.  H.  A.  Towne.  IS 

Mountain  Goat A.  H.  Barnes.  1 S 

Waterfall  over  Island  of  Rock,  Stevens  Glacier Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  21 

View  South  from  Cowlitz  Glacier  to  Mt.  Adams  Charles  Bedford.  22 

Storm  King  Peak  and  Mineral  Lake A.  H.  Barnes.  23 

Mineral  Lake  and  the  Mountain  A.  H.  Denman.  23 

*  Snow  Lake  in  Indian  Henry's   A.   H.   I5arnes.  24 

Cowlitz  Glacier,  Crevasses   Charles  Bedford.  25 

Paradise  River,  below  its  Glacier A.  H.  Barnes.  26 


12  THE  MOUXTAIX  THAT  WAS  "GOD" 

Steam  Caves  in  one  of  the  Craters  Asahel  Curtis.  26 

West  Side  of  Summit  from  Tahoma  Fork A.  H.  Barnes.  27 

View  of  the  Mountain  from  Beljica  Peak A.  H.  Barnes.  28 

Great  Rock  on  Ridge  between  North  and  South  Tahoma  Glaciers. .  .Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  29 

Wind  swept  Trees  on  North  Side George  V.  Caesar.  30 

Exploring  an  Ice  Cave,  Paradise  Glacier Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  30 

Peak  Success  from  Indian  Henry's  Mrs.  H.  A.  Towne.  31 

Mt.  St.  Helens  from  Indian  Henry's A.  H.  Barnes.  32 

The  Mountain  from  Top  of  Cascades  S.  C.  Smith.  33 

Ptarmigan,  the  Grouse  of  the  Ice  Fields  Asahel  Curtis.  34 

Climbing  the  Ice  Terraces  of  Winthrop  Glacier Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  34 

Portion  of  Spray  Park  George  V.  Caesar.  35 

Perilous  Position  on  Crevasse  in  Cowlitz  Glacier  Charles  Bedford.  36 

On  Pierce  County  Road,  Passing  Ohop  Valley  S.  C.  Lancaster.  37 

Cowlitz  Chimneys  S.  C.  Smith.  37 

*  Old  Road  near  Spanaway  A.  H.  Barnes.  38 

Mystic  Lake  and  Sluiskin  Mountains  Asahel  Curtis.  38 

Automobile  Party  above  Nisqually  Canyon,  Pierce  County  Road  .  . .  Asahel  Curtis.  39 

Prof.  O.  D.  Allen's  Cottage Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  39 

One  Mile  of  Carbon  Glacier A.  H.  Denman.  40 

Camp  on  St.  Elmo  Pass,  North  Side  of  the  Wedge  Asahel  Curtis.  40 

Little  Mashell  Falls,  near  Eatonville A.  H.  Barnes.  41 

Old  Stage  Road  to  Longmire  Springs  A.  H.  Barnes.  42 

Government  Road  in  the  Forest  Reserve  S.  C.  Lancaster.  43 

Ingraham  Glacier  Flowing  Into  Cowlitz  Glacier  Asahel  Curtis.  43 

*  On  the  Summit,  Showing  Columbia's  Crest   Asahel  Curtis.  44 

Party  Leaving  the  National  Park  Inn  for  Paradise  Park Linkletter  Photo  Co.  44 

On  the  Government  Road  a  Mile  Above  Longmire's  Linkletter  Photo  Co.  49 

Glacier  Table,  on  Winthrop  Glacier  Asahel  Curtis.  49 

Snout  of  Nisqually  Glacier   Linkletter  Photo  Co.  50 

Washington  Torrents   A.  H.  Barnes.  50 

Coming  Around  Frying  -  Pan  Glacier  Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  51 

Mt.  Adams,  seen  from  the  Indian  Henry  Trail  . A.  H.  Barnes.  51 

Indian  Henry's  Hunting  Ground  from  South  Tahoma  Glacier A.  H.  Denman.  52 

*  Southwest  Side  of  Mountain,  seen  from  Indan  Henry's A.  H.  Barnes.  53 

Junction  of  North  and  South  Tahoma  Glaciers  A.  H.  Denman.  54 

Winthrop  Glacier  and  St.  Elmo  Pass  Asahel  Curtis.  54 

Portion  of  Paradise  Valley  and  Ta.toosh  Range A.  H.  Barnes.  55 

Eastern  Part  of  Tatoosh  Range  . A.  H.  Barnes.  55 

Ice  Bridge,  Stevens  Glacier  Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  56 

Tug  of  W^ar Asahel  Curtis.  56 

Reese's  Camp    C.  E.  Cutter.  59 

Climbing  Paradise  Glacier Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  59 

Nisqually  Glacier,  from  Top  of  Gibraltar  Rock Asahel  Curtis.  60 

Sluiskin  Falls,  below  Paradise  Glacier A.  H.  Barnes.  61 

Looking  across  Winthrop  Glacier  to  Steamboat  Prow  Asahel  Curtis.  61 

Fairy  Falls,,  in  Goat  Lick  Basin  A.  H.  Barnes.  62 

*  Checkerboard  Crevasse,  Cowlitz  Glacier  S.  C.  Smith.  63 

Paradise  Valley  and  Tatoosh  Mountains  A.  H.  Barnes.  64 

Stevens  Canyon,  with  Mt.  Adams  in  Distance A.  H.  Barnes.  65 

Mountain  Climbers  on  St.  Elmo  Pass A.  W.  Archer.  66 

Passing  a  big  Crevasse  on  Interglacier Asahel  Curtis.  67 

The  Mountaineers  on  Winthrop  Glacier  Asahel  Curtis.  68 

Mountaineers  on  Carbon  Glacier  Asahel  Curtis.  68 

*  Nisqually  Glacier,  with  Its  Sources  . A.  H.  Barnes.  69 

Looking  North  from  Cowlitz  Chimneys  over  Cowlitz  Glacier  ....  Charles  Bedford.  70 

Measuring  the  Ice  Flow,  Nisqually  Glacier  Asahel  Curtis.  71 

One  of  the  Modern  Craters  Asahel  Curtis.  72-73 

Climbing  the  Cowlitz  Cleaver  . Asahel  Curtis.  72 

Lunching  in  a  Crevasse   Asahel  Curtis.  73 

Ice  -  bound  Lake,  Cowlitz  Park   S.  C.  Smith.  74 

Crevasses  in  Cowlitz  Glacier  S.  C.  Smith.  74 

Mazamas  Rounding  Gibraltar  Rodney  L.  Glisan.  77 

Climbing  the  "Chute,"  W' est  Side  of  Gibraltar  Asahel  Curtis.  78 

View  of  the  Summit  from  Top  of  Gil)raltar A.  H.  Waite.  79 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


13 


Looking  up  White  Glacier  to  Little  Tahoma Dr.  F.  A.  Scott.  80 

North  Peak,  or  "Liberty  Cap"  . A.  W.  Archer.  81 

Crossing  a  Precipitous  Slope,  White  Glacier A.  W.  Archer.  82 

Hydro  -  Electric  Plant  at   Electron 83 

Building  Tacoma's  New  Power  Plant  on  the  Nisqually  (3) George  V.  Caesar.  84 

Admiral  Peter  Rainier  87 

Echo  Rock,  on  West  Branch  of  Carbon  Glacier  A.  W.  Archer.  87 

East  Side  of  the  Mountain  from  Summer  Land   J.  B.  Flett.  88 

View  North  from  Mt.  Ruth,  looking  over  Grand  Park  J.  B.  Flett.  89 

*  Looking  over  Moraine  Park  to  Carbon  Glacier  Asahel  Curtis.  90 

Anemones Miss  Jessie  Kershaw.  90 

A  14-foot  Fir,  near  Mineral  Lake  A.  H.  Barnes.  91 

Sunrise  in  Indian  Henry's  Park A.  H.  Barnes.  92 

An  Eminent  Scientist  Practices  the  Simple  Life   93 

Floral  Carpet  in  Indian  Henry's A.  H.  Barnes.  93 

Mountain  Asters   A.  H.  Barnes.  94 

Alpine  Hemlock  and  Mountain  Lilies   Mrs.  H.  A.  Towne.  94 

Studying  the  Phlox J.  B.  Flett.  97 

Squaw  Grass  or  Mountain  Lily  Miss  Jessie  Kershaw.  97 

Mosses  and  Ferns Charles  Bedford.  98 

Avalanche  Lilies    Asahel   Curtis.  99 

*  Moraine  Park,  Sluiskin  Mountains  and  Moraine  Lake Asahel  Curtis.  100 

Canada  Dogwood Miss  Jessie  Kershaw.  1 00 

The  Mountain  from  Fox  Island  Charles  Bedford.  101 

Glacial  Debris,  Winthrop  Glacier Asahel  Curtis.  102 

Paradise  Valley,  with  South  -  Side  Route  to  the  Summit Asahel  Curtis.  102 

*  Oldest  and  Youngest  Climbers,  Gen.  Stevens  and  Jesse  McRae  ....  C.  E.  Cutter.  103 
P.  B.  Van  Trump  103 

*  Amphitheater  of  Carbon  Glacier  Asahel  Curtis.  104 

*  Avalanche  Falling  on  Willis  Wall.  .Photo,  Lee  Bronson;  Copyright,  P.  V.  Caesar.  105 
East  Side  of  Mountain,  with  Route  to  Summit  over  White  Glacier.  .  Asahel  Curtis.  106 

Building  Trail  on  Carbon  Glacier  Moraine   Asahel  Curtis.  106 

Mountaineers'  Camp  in  Moraine  Park,  overlooking  Carbon  Glacier.  .Asahel  Curtis.  107 

Ice  Pinnacles,  or  Serracs,  on  Carbon  Glacier A.  W.  Archer.  107 

Looking  Southeast  from  Mt.  Rose,  above  Eunice  Lake  George  V.  Caesar.  108 

Looking  Southwest  from  Mt.  Rose  George  V.  Caesar.  109 

*  Spray  Falls    Asahel   Curtis.  110 

*  The  Mountain  from  Green  River  Hot  Springs  C.  E.  Cutter.  Ill 

Returning  from  the  Summit Asahel  Curtis.  Ill 

MAPS 

Puget  Sound  Country  and  Roads  to  the  Mountain Inside  of  Back  Cover 

Rainier  National  Park    Inside  of  Back  Cover 


From  above  Sluiskin  Falls,  at  4  p.  in.,  showinji  the  appiDach  of  a  stc 


Taken  same  day  as  preceding  view. 


Copyright,    1909,    by   Asahel   Cuilis 


Lost  to  the  World,  7,500  feet  above  sea  level. 


THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  "GOD." 


I. 


MOUNT  "BIG  SNOW"  AND  INDIAN  TRADITION. 


Age  cannot  wither  her,  nor  custom  stale 
Her  infinite  variety. — Antony  and  Cleopatra. 


THE  great  mountain  fascinates 
lis  by  its  diversity.  It  is  an 
inspiration  and  yet  a  riddh'  to 
all  who  are  drawn  to  the  mysteriotts 
or  who  love  the  sublime.  Every  view 
which  the  breaking  clouds  vouchsafe 
to  lis  is  a  stirprise.  It  never  becomes 
commonplace,  save  to  the  common- 
place. 

Old  Virgil's  gibe  at  mankind's 
belter  half  —  "varium  et  mutabilc 
temper  femina"  —  might  have  be(Mi 
written  of  this  fickle  shape  of  rock 
and  ice  and  vapor.  One  tries  vainly, 
year  after  year,  to  define  it  in  his 
own  mind.  The  daily,  hourly  chaii^v 
of  distance,  size  and  aspect,  ti'icks 
which  the  Indian's  monntain  god 
I)lays  with  the  puny  crcatiiiM's  s\vai-iii- 
ing  more  and  more  about  his  foot,  his 
days  of  frank  ncigliliorliiu'ss.  his 
swift  transfoniiations  IVoin  sinih's  to 
anger,  his  fits  of  siillciiticss  jiiid  willi- 


^^V-:'"',  "■ 

m-^^- 


.•;_J    .-dc 


Crossing  a  Snow  Slope,  upper  part  of  Moraine  Park. 


16 


THE    MOUNTAIN    THAT    WAS    "GOD' 


Iron  and  Copper  Mountains  (right)  in  Indian  Henry's.     The  top  of  Pyramid  Peak 
shows  in  the  saddle  beyond,  below  Peak  Success. 

(Irawal,  all  baffle  study.  Even  though  we  live  at  its  base,  it  is  impossible  to  say 
we  know  the  mountain,  so  various  are  the  spells  the  sun  casts  over  this  huge 
dome  which  it  is  slowly  chiseling  away  with  its  tools  of  ice.  and  which,  in 
coming  centuries,  it  will  level  with  the  plain. 

We  are  lovers  of  the  water  as  well  as  the  hills,  out  here  in  this  Northwestern 
corner  of  the  Republic.  We  spend  many  days  —  and  should  spend  more  — in 
cruising  among  the  hidden  bays  and  park-like  islands  which  make  Puget  Sound 
the  most  interesting  body  of  water  in  America.  We  grow  a  bit  boastful  about 
the  lakes  that  cluster  around  our  cities.  Nowhere  better  than  from  sea  level, 
or  from  the  lakes  raised  but  little  above  it,  does  one  realize  the  bulk,  the  domi- 
nance, and  yet  the 
grace,  of  this  noble 
peak.  Its  impres- 
s  i  V  eness,  indeed, 
arises  in  part  from 
the  fact  that  it  is 
one  of  the  few 
iii-eat  volcanic 
m  0  u  ntains  whose 
entire  height  may 
be  seen  from  tide 
level.  Many  of  us 
can  recall  views  of 
it  from  Lake  Wash- 
ington at  Seattle, 
or  from  American 


Ice  Terraces  on  South  Tahoma  Glacier.   These  vast  steps  are  one  ot  the  formations  seen 
when  a  glacier  moves  down  a  steep  and  irregular  slope. 


or  Spanaway  Lake 
at   T  a  c  o  m  a  ,    or 


z  - 


o  Z 


1  i 


18 


THE   MOUNTAIN   THAT   WAS   "GOD' 


from  the  Sound,  which  will  always 
haunt  the  memory. 

Early  one  evening,  last  summer. 
I  went  Avith  a  friend  to  Point  De- 
fiance. Tacoma's  fine  park  at  the 
end  of  the  promontory  on  which 
the  city  is  built.  We  drank  in  re- 
freshment from  that  scene  of  broad 
channels  and  evergreen  shores.  We 
watched  the  gathering  colors  in  the 
West,  over  the  Olympics.  As  sunset 
approached.  Ave  rowed  far  out 
Northward  into  the  Sound.  The 
Western  sky  became  a  conflagra- 
tion. Twilight  settled  u})on  the  bay. 
The  lights  of  the  distant  towai  came 
out,  one  by  one,  and  those  of  the  big 
smelter,  near  by.  became  brilliant. 
Xo  Turner  ever  dreamed  so  glorious 
a  picture  of  sunlight  and  shade. 
But  we  were  held  by  one  vision. 

Yonder,  in  the  Southeast,  tower- 
ing above  the  lower  shadows  of  har- 
bor and  hills,  rose  a  vast  pyramid 
of  soft  flame.  The  setting  sun  had 
thrown  a  mantle  of  rose  pink  ovei* 
the  ice  of  the  glaciers  and  the  great 
cleavers  of  rock  which  buttress  the 
mighty  dome.  The  rounded  summit 


Mountain  Goat,  an  accidental  snap-shot 
at  a  distance  of  100  feet. 


"Ghost  Trees."  These  white  stalks,  seen  in  Indian  Henry's  and 
Paradise  Valley,  tell  of  fires  set  by  careless  visitors. 

was  warm  with  beautiful  orange  light.  Soon 
the  colors  upon  its  slope  changed  to  deeper 
reds,  and  then  to  amethyst,  and  violet,  and 
|)earl  gray.  The  sun-forsaken  ranges  below  fell 
away  to  dark  neutral  tints.  But  the  fires  upon 
the  crest  burned  on,  deepening  from  gold  to 
burnished  copper,  a  colossal  beacon  flaming 
high  against  the  sunset  purple  of  the  Eastern 
skies.  Finally,  even  this  great  light  paled  to 
a  ghostly  white,  as  the  supporting  foundation 
of  mountain  ridges  dropped  into  the  darkness 
of  the  long  Northern  tw'ilight,  until  the  snow\y 
.summit  seemed  no  longer  a  part  of  earth,  but 


MOUNT   "BIG  SXOW"  AND  INDIAN   TRADITION 


21 


a  veil  of  iincaiiiiy  mist,  cauulit  up  by  tin-  winds  from  the  Tacilic  and  floating  far 
above  tlic  blac'c  sky-line  of  the  solid  Cascades,  that 

*       *       *       heaven-sustaining  bulwark,  I'eared 
Between  tlae  East  and  West. 

.\nd  when  even  this  apparition  had  faded,  and  the  .Mountain  a|)peared  only 
as  a  dim  ])ul]v  silhouetted  npon  the  night,  then  came  the  miracle,  (iradnall.w 
the  P^ast,  be^^ond  the  great  hills,  showed  a  faint  light.  The  profile  of  the  peak 
became  more  definite.  With  no  other  warning,  suddenly  from  its  summit  the 
full  moon  sliot  forth,  huge,  majestic  and  gracious,  flooding  the  lower  world 
with  brightness.  Clouds  aiul  mountain  ranges  alike  shone  witli  its  glory.  But 
the  great  peak  loomed  blacker  aiul  nu)re  sullen.  Only,  on  its  head,  the  wide 
crown  of  snow  gleamed  white  undt^-  tlu^  cold  rays  of  the  moon. 

No  wonder  that  this  mountain  of  changing  moods,  overtopping  every  other 
eminence  in  the  Northwest,  answered  the  idea  of  (lod  to  the  simple,  imaginative 
mind  of  the  In- 
dians Avho  hunted 
in  the  forest  on 
its  slopes  or 
fi  s  h  e  d  in  the 
waters  that  ebbed 
aiul  tlowed  at  its 
b  a  s  e.  Primitive 
])e()ples  in  every 
bind  have  deified 
superlative  mani- 
festations of  na- 
ture —  the  sun. 
t  h  e  wind,  t  h  e 
great  rivers  and 
w  ate  rfalls,  the 
high  mountains. 
By  all  the  tribes 
within  sight  of  its 
summit,  this  pre- 
eminent  peak, 
called  by  them 
Tacoma,  Tahoma 
or  Tacob,  as  who 
should  say  "The 
Great  Snow,  "Avas 
deemed  a  powei- 
to  be  feared  and 
conciliated.  Even 
when  the  mission- 
aries taught  them 
a  I)ettei'faith,they         waterfaii 


island  of  locU,  middle  of   Stevens  Glaci 


Note  the  Ice  Wall  above. 


'J  i 


a  -c 


H  a 


2  < 


-  s 


-2  ^ 

0  2 


MOUNT  "BIG  SNOW  AND  INDIAN  TRADITION 


23 


continued  to  hold  the 
mountain  in  super- 
stitious reverence  ■ — 
an  awe  that  still  h;is 
power  to  silence  their 
"civilized"  and  very 
unromantic  descend- 
ants. 

The  Pu.uet  Sound 
tribes,  with  the  Ya]<- 
imas,  Klickitats  and 
others  living  just  be- 
yond the  Cascades, 
had  substantially  tlie 
same  language  and 
beliefs,  though  differ- 
ing in  physical  type. 
East  of  the  range, 
they  lived  by  the 
chase.  They  were 
great  horsemen  and 
famous  runners,  a  breed  of  lithe. 


Mineral  I^akc  and  the  Mountain. 


Storm  King  Peak  and  Mineral  Lake,  viewed  from  near  Mineral  Lake  Inn. 


upstanding,  handsome  men.  Here  on  the 
Coast  were  the  "Digger" 
tribes,  who  subsisted  chiefly 
by  spearing  salmon  and 
digging  clams.  Their  stooped 
figures,  flat  faces,  downcast 
eyes  and  low  mentality  re- 
flected the  life  they  led.  Con- 
trasting their  heavy  bodies 
with  their  feeble  legs,  which 
grew  shorter  with  disuse,  a 
Tacoma  humorist  last  sum- 
mer gravely  proved  to  a 
party  of  English  visitors  that 
in  a  few  years  more,  had  not 
the  white  man  seized  their 
fishing  grounds,  the  Si  washes 
would  have  had  no  legs  at  all. 
Stolid  as  he  seemed  to  the 
whites,  the  Indian  of  the 
Sound  was  not  without  his 
touch  of  poetry.  He  had  that 
imaginative  curiosity  which 
marked  the  native  American 


MOUNT  "BIG  SNOW  AXD  INDIAN   TRADITION 


25 


Cowlitz  Glacier,  Crevasses  caused  by  Hexiire  in  Its  bed 


I'vci-ywlicrc.  lie  \v;is  cvci"  pccriiiu'  iiit')  the  c;nis(\s  of  tliinys.  and  seeina'  the 
.supernatural  in  the  world  around  him.  * 

To  the  o'reat  Snow  Mountain  th<^  Indians  niaih-  friMjuent  ])ilgrinia>:es.  for 
they  thought  tliis  kini:-  of  the  pi-inieval  wild  a  divinity  to  be  reckoned  with. 
They  dreaded  its  anLicr.  seen  in  the  storms  about  its  head,  the  thunder  of  its 
avalanelies.  and  the  volcanic  Hasinas  of  Avliieh  their  traditions  told.  They 
courted  its  favor,  symbolizecl  in  the  wihl  tiowei's  that  bh)omed  on  its  slope,  and 
the  tall   grass  that    fed  the  mowicli.  or  deer. 

As  they  ascended  the  va.st  ridges,  the  grandeur  about  them  si)oke  of  the 


*  Anions'  those  who  have  studied  the  Puget  Sound  Indians  most  sympathetically  is  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Hylebos  of  Tacoma.  He  came  to  the  Northwest  in  1870,  when  tlie  Federal  census 
save  the  sawmill  hamlet  of  Tacoma  a  white  population  of  seventy-three,  and  while  the 
Indians  hereabout  num))ered  thousands.  In  those  days,  says  Father  Hylebos,  the  Tacoma 
tideflats,  now  filled  in  for  mills  and  railway  terminals,  were  covered  each  autumn  with  the 
canoes  of  Indians,  spearing  salmon  for  tlnir  winter's  supply.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing 
to  see  at  one  time  on  Commencement  Ba\-  i;iio  lioats,  1,800  fishermen.  This  veteran  worker 
among  the  Siwashes  (French,  sauvages)  first  told  nie  tlie  myths  that  hallowed  the  mountain 
for  every  native,  and  the  true  meaning  nf  tlie  btautiful  Indian  word  "Tacoma."  He  knew 
well  all  the  leaders  of  the  generation  before  the  railways:  Sluiskin,  the  Kliclvitat  chief  who 
guided  Stevens  and  Van  Trump  up  to  the  snow  line  when  they  made  the  first  ascent  in  1870; 
Stanup,  chief  of  the  Puyallups;  Kiskax.  Ileal  of  the  Cowlit/.  tribe;  Angeline.  the  famous 
daughter  cif  (Miicf  Seattle,  godfatlioi    of  the  cilx-  of  that    n.-iine,  and   many  others. 


26 


THE   MOUNTAIN   THAT   WAS   "GOD" 


m  u  u  11  tain  god. 
There  were 
groves  of  trees  he 
must  have  plant- 
ed, so  o  r  d  e  r  1  y 
were  they  set  out. 
The  lakes  of  the 
lofty  V  a  1  leys 
seemed  calmer 
than  those  on  the 
prairies  b  e  1  o  av. 
the  foliage 
brighter.  The 
song  of  t  h  (^ 
waterfalls  here 
was  sweeter  than 
the  music  of  the 
tamahnawas  men, 
their  Indian  sor- 
cerers. The  many 
small  meadows 
close  to  the 
snow  -  line,    c  a  r- 

peted  in  deepest  green  and  spread  with  flowers,  were  the  gardens  of  the 
divinity,  tended  by  his  superhuman  agents.  No  wood  in  ancient  Greece  was 
ever  peopled  by  hamadryads  so  real  as  the  little  gods  whom  the  Indian  saw  in 
the  forests  watered  by  streams  from  Tacoma's  glaciers. 


Paradise  River,  below  its  Glacier,  with  Little  Tahoma  in  distance. 


.■<t^i 


Steam  Caves  in  one  of  the  Craters.     The  residual  heat  of  the  extinct  Volcano  causes  steam  and  gases  to  escape  from 
vents  in  the  rims  of  the  two  small  Craters.     .Alpinists  often  spend  a  night  in  the  Caves  thus  formed  in  the  Snow. 


West  Side  of  the  Summit,  seen  from  Tahoma  Fork  of  the  Nisqiially.     Note  the  whiteness  of  the  Glacial  Water 


Oz 


=  b 


°  i 


^  d 


-=  H 


MOUNT  •■BIG  SXOW  AND   IXDIAX  TRADITION 


29 


Great  Rock  on  the  Ridge  separating  the  North  and  South  Tahoma  Glaciers,  with  Tahoma  Fork  of  the  Nisqually 
several  miles  helou.     Seen  right  of  center  on  page  28. 

Countless  snows  had  fallen  since  the  mountain  god  created  and  beautified 
this  home  of  his,  when  one  day  he  grew  angry,  and  in  his  Avrath  showed  terrible 
tongues  of  fire.  Thus  he  ignited  an  immense  fir  forest  on  the  south  side  of 
the  peak.  When  his  anger  subsided,  the  flames  passed,  and  the  land  they  left 
bare  became  covered  with  blue  g-rass  and  wild  flowers  —  a  great  sunny  country 
where,  before,  the  dark  forest  had  been.  Borrowing  a  word  from  the  French 
coureurs  des  bois  who  came  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  the  later 
Indians  sometimes  called  this  region  "the  Big  Brule";  and  to  this  day  some 
Americans  call  it  the  same.  But  for  the  Big  Brule  the  Indians  had,  from 
ancient  times,  another  name,  connected  with  their  ideas  of  religion.  It  was 
their  Saghalie  Illahe,  the  "Land  of  Peace."  Heaven.  Our  name.  "Paradise 
Valley,"  given  to  the  beautiful  open  vale  on  the  soutli  slope  of  the  mountain, 
is  an  English  eciuivalent. 

Here  was  the  same  bar  to  vioh'iirc  wliicli  religion  has  erected  in  many  lands. 
The  Hebrews  had  their  "Cities  of  Refuge."  The  pagan  ancients  made  every 
altar  an  asylum.  Mediaeval  Christianity  constituted  all  its  cliui-ches  sanctuaries. 
Thus,  in  lawless  ages,  the  hand  of  vengeance  was  stayed,  and  the  weak  were 
protected. 


30 


THE    MOL'XTALX    THAT    WAS    "GOD' 


Wind  Swept  Trees  on  North  SUl-,  tlic-  last  heli>\\  the  II 


>f  [ueriial  Snov 


So.  Ini).  liie  Indian 
(  1-  a  (1  ilioii  ordained 
tills  lioiiic  of  rest  and 
rcl'imr.  Indian  ens- 
tom  was  an  eye  for 
an  eye.  hut  on  <iain- 
in^'  tills  HI  o  u  n  tain 
liaven  the  pursued 
was  safe  from  his 
inirsuer,  the  slayer 
might  not  be  touched 
liy  his  victim's  kin- 
d  r  e  d.  W  hen  he 
crossed  its  border, 
the  warrior  laid  doAvn 
his  arms.  Criminals 
and  cowards,  too,  were  often  sent  here  by  the  chiefs  to  do  penance. 

The  mountain  divinity,  with  his  under-cjods,  figures  in  much  of  the  Siwash 
folk-lore,  and  the  "Land  of  Peace"  is  often  heard  of.  It  is  through  such 
tyi^eal  Indian  legends  as  that  of  the  Greedy  Hiaqua  Hunter  that  we  learn  how 
large  a  place  the  great  Mountain  filled  in  the  thought  of  the  aboriginees. 

Tills  myth  also  explains  why  an  Indian  could  never  be  persuaded  to  make 
the  ascent,  farther  tlian  the  snow  line.  Even  so  shrewd  and  intelligent  a 
Siwash  as  Sluis- 
kin,  with  all  his 
keen  n  ess  for 
"  Boston  ehika  - 
min."  the  white 
man's  money,  re- 
fused to  accom- 
pany Stevens  and 
Van  Trump.  In 
1870;  and  indeed 
gave  them  up  as 
d  0  o  m  e  d  when 
they  defied  the 
M  o  u  n  t  a  i  n  '  s 
wrath  and  start- 
ed for  the  sum- 
mit in  spite  of 
Ills  Avarnings. 

The  hero  of 
the  Hiaqua  ^lyth 
is  the  Indian  Rip 


Exploring  an  Ice  Cave,  Paradise  Cjlai 


if    ^ 

View  of  Peak  Success  and  West  side  i;f  the  Mountain  fVom  Iiulian  Heiny's,  \\ith  retlection. 


Rounded  Cone  of  Mt.  St.  Helens,  seen  Irom  Indian  Heniy's,  ,S(I  miles  away. 


MOUNT   "BIG  SNOW  AND  INDIAN   TRADITION 


33 


V  a  n  Winkle.  * 
Crazy  for  hiaqiia. 
or  sh(41  money, 
and  persuaded  by 
]\roosni()0.s.  the  elk 
divinit\'.  liis  own 
totem,  that  on  top 
of  the  mountain 
lie  w  o  u  1  d  find 
great  store  of  it, 
he  climbed  to  the 
sniiiiiiil .  Here  he 
found  three  big 
r  o  e  k'  s.  o  n  e  of 
which  loolci^d  like 
his  friendly 
^loosmoos.  Over- 
turning this  after 
long  digging,  he 
luieovered  many 
strings  of  hiaqua 
— enough  to  make 
him  the  richest 
of  men.  But  he 
mcaidy  seized  it 
all,  leaving  no 
thaidv-offering  to 
the  tamahnawas 
powers.  T  h  e  r  e- 
upon  the  whole 
earth  shook  with 
a  iiiiL:lil\'  convul- 
sion, and  the  ]\Iountain  shot  forth  terrible  fires  and  poured  streams  of  water 
(lava?)  down  its  sides. 

Panic-stricken  at  the  results  of  his  greed,  the  man  threw  down  his  load  of 
treasure  to  ])ropitiate  the  angry  deity;  and  then  fell  on  the  ground  and  entered 
the  land  of  sleep.  Long,  long  after,  he  awoke  to  find  himself  far  from  the 
summit,  in  a  pleasant  countr'y  of  beautitul  meadows.  car|)eted  with  flowers, 
and  musical  with  the  song  of  birds.  He  had  grown  vei'v  old.  willi  snow-white 
hair  falling  to  his  shoulders.  Kecognizing  the  scene  ahonl  him  as  Saghalie 
Illahe.  he  sought  his  old  tent.  ll  was  where  he  had  left  it.  and  there,  too,  was 
his  "klootchman,"  or  wife,  gi'own  ohl.  like  himself,  liack  they  went  to  their 
home  on  the  bank  of  the  Cowlitz,  where  the\-  spent  the  rest  of  their  days  in 
great  honor.     For  Ins  tribesmen  recounized   that    the  aued   Indian  "s  heart  had 


The  Mountain,  seen  from  top  of  the  Cascades,  with  party  starting  due  West 
for  Paradise  Valley. 


*   See  Pn.f.  W 
Moiintaineei'."   N'ol. 


I).   J.iyman's  paper.s  on   tlio    nidiaii    ley 
2;  al.so  Winthrop's  "Canoe  and   Saildli 


■lids,   in   "Ma/.ania."'   \'o\.    2,  and   '"I'lie 


34 


THE    MOUXTAiX    THAT   WAS   -GOD" 


V 


been  m  a  r  v  e  1  ously 
softened  and  his  mind 
enriched  by  his  ex- 
peri  e  n  c  e  upon  the 
mountain.  Thus  he 
became  the  most  re- 
spected of  all  the 
tamahnawas  men  of 
his  time. 

Such  legends  show 
the  Northwestern  In- 
dian, like  savages 
everywhere,  mingling 
his  conception  of 
Deity  with  his  ideas 
of  the  evil  one.  Sym- 
bolism pervaded  his 
crude  but  very  positive  mind.  Ever  by  his  side  the  old  Siwash  felt  the 
Power  that  dwelt  on  Tacoma,  protecting  and  aiding  him,  or  leading  him 
to  destruction.  Knowing  nothing  of  true  worship,  his  primitive  intelli- 
gence could  imagine  God  only  in  things  either  the  most  beautiful  or  the  most 
terrifying;  and  the  more  we  know  the  ^lountain,  the  more  easily  we  shall 
understand  why  he  deemed  the  majestic  peak  a  factor  of  his  destiny  —  an 
infinite  force  that  could,  at  will,  bless  or  destroy. 


Ptarmigan,  the  Grouse  of  the  ice-fields.     Unlike  its  neighbor,  the  Mountain  Goat, 

this  bird  is  tame,  and  may  sometimes  be  caught  by  hand.     In  winter, 

its    plumage    turns    from    brown    to    white. 


Climbing  the  Ice  Terraces  of  Winthrop  Glacier. 


Portion  of  Spray  Park,  with  North  Side  \ie\v  of  the  Mountain,  showing  Observation  Rock  and    Timber  l.ir 

Klcvation  of  Camera.  7.(M)(lfect. 


A  perilous  position  on  the  edge  of  a  great  Crevasse.     Cowlitz  Glacier,  near  end  of  Cathedral  Rocks. 


On  Pierce  County's  splendid  scenic  road  to  the  Mountain.      Passing  Ohop  Valley. 


II. 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT. 


There  are  plenty  of  higher  mountains,  but  it  is  the  decided  isolation  —  the  absolute 
standing  alone  in  full  majesty  of  its  own  mightiness  —  that  forms  the  attraction  of 
Rainier.  *  *  *  It  is  no  squatting  giant,  perched  on  the  shoulders  of  other 
mountains.  From  Puget  Sound,  it  is  a  sight  for  the  gods,  and  one  feels  in  the  presence 
of  the  gods.  —  Paul  Fountain:    "The  Seven  Eaglets  of  the  West"   (London,  1905). 


T 


HE  first  explorers  to  climb  the  Mountain,  forty  years  ago.  were  compelled 
to  make  their  way  from  Puget  Sound  through  the  dense  growths  of  one 
of  the  world 's  greatest 


forests,  over  lofty  ridges  and 
deep  canyons,  and  across  per- 
ilous glacial  torrents.  The 
hardships  of  a  jotirney  to  the 
timber  line  were  more  form- 
idable than  any  difficulties  to 
be  encountered  above  it. 

Even  from  the  East  the 
first  railroad  to  the  Coast  had 
just  reached  San  Francisco. 
Thence  the  traveler  came 
north  to  the  Sound  by  boat. 
The  now  busy  cities  of  Seattle 
and  Tacoma  were.  one.  an 
ambitious  village  of  1,107  in- 
habitants; the  other,  a  saw- 
mill, with  seventy  persons  liv- 
ing   around    it.     They    were 


Cowlitz  Chimneys,  seen  from  basin  below   Fr\in(;-Pan  Glacier. 


G094l) 


38 


THE   MOUNTAIN   THAT   WAS  'GOD" 


On  the  way  out  from  Tacoma  the  Automobilist  sees  many  scenes  like  this  Old  Road  near  Spanavvay  Lake 

frontier  settlements,  outposts  of  eivilizatioii :  hut  civilization  paid  little 
attention  to  them  and  their  great  ^lountain.  until  the  railways,  some  years 
later,  began  to  connect  them  with  the  big  world  of  people  and  markets  beyond 
the  Rockies. 

How  ditferent  the  case  today !     Six  transcontinental  railroads  now  deliver 
their  trains  in  the  Puget  Sound  cities.    These  are:    The  Northern  Pacific,  which 


iVIystic  Lake  and  Sliiiskin  Mountains. 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT 


39 


Automobile  Party  above  NIsqually  Canyon,  Pierce  County  Road  to  the  Mountain. 


was  the  first  trunk  line  to  reach  the  Sound ;  the  Great  Northern ;  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy ;  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  Puget  Sound ;  the  Oregon  & 
"Washington  (Union  Pacific),  and  the  Canadian  Pacific.  A  seventh,  the  North 
Coast,  will  s'oon  be  added. 

Arriving  in  Seattle  or  Tacoma,  the  traveler  has  his  choice  of  quick  and  en- 
joyable routes  to  the  Mountain.  He  may  go  by  automobile,  leaving  either  city 
in  the  morning.  After  traveling  one  of  the  best  and  most  interesting  roads  in 
the  country  —  the  first  and  only  one.  in  fact,  to  reach  a  glacier  —  he  may  take 

luncheon  at  noon 
six  thousand  feet 
higher,  in  Para- 
dise Park,  closo 
to  the  line  of 
eternal  snow.  Oi- 
he  may  go  by 
tlie  comfortable 
trains  of  the  Ta- 
coma Eastern 
(Milwaukee  sys- 
tem) to  Ashford. 
fifty-six  miles 
from  Tacoma. 
and  IhiMi  by  au- 
toiiiohih'  stages 
over  a  perfect 
roiid  to  Ihc  Xa- 

Prof.  O.  D.  Allen's  Cottage,  in  the  Forest  Reserve,  where  the  former  ^'ale  professoi 

has  for  years  studied  the  Flora  of  the  Mountain.  lloll.ll     r.il-k     I  Mil 


40 


THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  "GOD-' 


at  Longmire 
Springs  (altitude 
2,730  feet) . 
Lunching  there, 
he  may  then  go 
on,  afoot,  by  au- 
tomobile over  the 
new  government 
road,  or  on  horse- 
back over  a  ro- 
mantic trail,  to 
Paradise. 

Either  of  these 
ways  of  reaching 
the  Mountain 
will  be  a  happy 
choice,  for  each 
of  them  leads 
through  a  coun- 
try of  uncommon 
charm.  Each  of 
them,  too,  will 
carry  the  visitor 
up  from  the 
Sound  to  the 
great  and  beau- 
tiful region  on 
the  southern  slopes  which  includes  the  Nisqually  canyon,  Paradise  valley,  the 
Tatoosh   range,   the   Stevens   canyon,   and   Indian  Henry's  Hunting   Ground. 


One  mile  ot  Carbon  Glacier,  where  it  has  cut  its  way  through  the  Mountains. 
Sluiskln  Mountains  on  right.  Mother  Mountains  on  left. 


Camp  on  St.  Elmo  Pass,  North  side  of  the  Wedge,  between  Winthrop  Glacier  and  Interglacier.     Elevation,  9,000  feet. 

Winthrop  Glacier  and  the  fork  of  White  River   which   it  feeds  are   seen  in  distance  below.     The  man  is 

Maj.  E.  S.  Ingraham,  a  veteran  explorer  of  the  Mountain,  after  whom  Ingraham  Glacier  is  named. 


Little  Mashell  Falls,  near  Ratonville 


jf^; 


'11 


kV 


f\km 


;      S  Ik:, 


fll 


'fc^^ 


mm  ■% 

./  I  -i  T?L 


Old  Stage  Koad  to  Longniirc  Springs  and  the  National  Park  Inn.  showing  the  tall,  clear  trunks  o(  the  giant  Firs 


THE  XATIOXAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT 


43 


Hci'p  let  him  stay  a  day  or  a  month. 
p]vei'y  moment  of  the  lime  will  he  crowded 
willi  I'tijoymciit .  lie  may  content  himself 
with  snowl)a]liim  liis  comiianions  in  mid- 
summer, and  \vitli  looking  down  from  Alta 
^'ista  (elevation.  (i.OOO  feet)  on  the  big 
Xis<inally  glacici-  in  the  canyon  which  it 
has  cut  for  itself,  and  up  its  steep  slopes  to 
its  neve  field,  on  the  summit.  Or  he  may 
explore  this  whole  region  at  leisure,  climb- 
ing hard  mountain  trails,  obtaining  magnifi- 
cent views,  working  up  over  the  glaciers, 
studying  their  crevasses,  ice  caves  and  flow. 
He  may  even  scale  the  i)eak.  under  the  safe 
leadership  of  experienced  guides.  He  nmy 
wander  at  will  over  the  vast  platform  left 
by  the  prehistoric  explosion  which  trun- 
cated the  great  cone,  and  perhaps  spend  a 
night  of  sensational  novelty  (and  discom- 
fort) in  a  big  steam  cave,  under  the  snow, 
inside  a  crater. 

The  south  side  has  the  atl vantage  of  offer- 
ing the  wildest  alpine  sport  in  cond)ination  with  a  well-appointed  hotel  as  a 


Government  Road  in  the  Forest  Reserve. 


In)>rahani  Glacier  emptying  into  (])o\\lit/.  Glacier,  o\er  an  SdO-fdol  fall. 


>r(he  linesl  ice  cascades  dm  Ihu  Mountain. 


44 


THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  "GOD" 


rnpyriglit.    iniil).    by   Asahel   Curtis 
On  the  Summit,  showing  Columbia's  Crest,  the  great  Mound  of  Snow  that  has,  most  curiously, 
formed  on  this  wide  wind-swept  platform. 


base  of  operations.  Hence  the  majority  of  visitors  to  the  Mountain  know  only 
that  side.  Everybody  should  know  it,  too ;  but  should  also  know  that  it  is  by 
no  means  the  only  side  to  see. 

One  may.  of  course,  work  around  from  the  Nisqually  canyon  and  Paradise, 
east  or  Avest.  to  the  other  glaciers  and  "parks."  It  is  quite  practicable,  if  not 
easy,  to  make  the  trip  eastward  from  Camp  of  the  Clouds  in  Paradise  Park, 
crossing  Paradise,  Stevens  and  Cowlitz  glaciers,  and  thus  to  reach  the  huge 
White  glacier  on  the  east  side  and  Winthrop  and  Carbon  glaciers  on  the  north. 
Every  summer  sees  more  and  more  visitors  making  this  wonderful  journey. 

r.- 


Leaiing  ihu  National  I'ark  Inn  al   I.oiigniire  Springs  (elevation,  2.7.50  feet)  lor  the  Sun 


'~>s. 


^> 


^<  o  I T  Y 


Northward  from  top  of   Pinnacle  Peak.  7,200  feet  elevation,   to  Paradise  \'alley.    Nisoually   Glacier  and 
Gibraltar  Rock,  eight  miles  away 


Looliins;   Northeast   from  slope  oi   Pinnacle   Peak,   across   Paradise,   Stevens.  Cowlitz   nnd   Kryine   Pan  Glaciers. 
These  two  views  form  virtually  a  panorama 


% 


THE  XATIOXAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  RKACH  IT 


49 


On  the  Government  Road  a  mile  above  Longmire's. 


Another  way  to  reach  the  great  north  side,  and  perhaps  the  most  practic- 
able way,  especially  for  parties  which  carry  camp  equipment,  is  by  a  Northern 
Pacific  train  over  the  Carbonado  branch  to  Fairfax.  This  is  on  Carbon  river, 
five  miles  from  the  northwest  corner  of  the  National  Park.  Thence  the  traveler 
will  go  by  horse  or  afoot,  over  a  safe  mountain  trail,  to  Spray  Park,  the  fascinat- 
ing region  between  Carbon  and  North  Mowich  glaciers.  Standing  here,  on  such 
an  eminence  as  Fay  Peak  or  Eagle  Cliff,  he  may  have  views  of  the  Mountain 
and  its  noblest 
features  that  will 
a  thousand  times 

repay    the    labor  ! 

of  attainment. 

A  visit  to  this 
less  known  side 
involves  the  ne- 
cessity of  pack- 
ing an  outfit.  But 
arrangements  for 
horses  and  pack- 
ers are  easily 
made,  and  each 
vear    an    uiptpji^- 

iiiv^icci.i  Glacier   Table  on   Winlhrop   Glacier.     This   phenomenon    is   due   to  the  melting  of   the 
ing      number      of  glacier,  and  the  consequent  lowering  of  its  Icvcl  save  where  sheltered   by  the 

,   •  .  rock.     Under  the  Sun's  rays,  these  "tables"  incline  more  and  more 

parties       m  a   k  e  f„  ,1,^  South,  until  they  finally  slide  off  their  pedestals. 


50 


THE   .AIOUXTAIX   THAT   WAS  "GOD" 


Snout  of  Nisqually  Glacier,  with  Government  Road  and  Bridge.     The  Ice  Front  here 

is  500  to  600  feet  high.     Elevation  of  river  flowing  forth  below 

is  4,000  feet  above  sea  level. 


S  p  r  a  y   Park 

their   headquar- 
ters. From  there 

they    go    soutli. 

over    the     west 

side  glaciers,  or 

oast,   across  the 

('  a  V  \)  o  11    a  11  (1 

1  li  r  ()  n  g  li    the 

great     W  h  i  t  e 

river    country. 

They    camp    on 

the    north    side 

of   the   Sluiskin 

mountains.      i  n 

^roraine    Park. 

and   there  have 

ready  access  to 

C  a  r  b  0  n    an  d 

Winthrop      gla- 
ciers, with  splendid  views  of  the  vast  precipices  that  form  the  north  face  of  the 

]\rountain.     Thence  they  climb  east  and  south  over  the  Winthrop  and  White 

glaciers.  They  visit  the 
beautiful  Grand  Park 
and  Summer  Land,  and 
either  make  the  ascent 
to  the  s  u  m  m  i  t  from 
"the  Wedge,"  over  the 
long  ice  slope  of  the 
White  glacier,  or  con- 
tinue around  to  the  Par- 
adise country  and  Long- 
mire  Springs. 

The  west  side  has 
been  less  visited  than 
any  other,  but  there  is 
a  trail  from  the  North 
^I  o  w  i  c  h  to  the  Nis- 
qually, and  from  this 
adventurous  explorers 
reach  North  and  South 
Mowich  and  Puyallup 
glaciers.  No  one  has 
yet  climbed  the  Moun- 

Washington  Torrents,  a  series  of  falls  seen  from  the  new  Government  '      .  ,  ,        . 

Road  to  Paradise.  taiu  over  thosc  glaciers. 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT 


51 


o  r  f  r  o  in  t  li  e 
north  side.  A 
view  from  any 
of  the  trails  will 
explain  why. 
The  great  rock 
spines  are  more 
precipitous  than 
elsewhere,  the 
iilaeiers  more 
broken ;  and  the 
summit  is  front- 
ed on  either  side 
by  a  huge  para- 
pet of  rock  which  hurls  defiance  at  anything  short  of  an  airship.  Doubtless,  we 
shall  some  day  travel  to  Crater  Peak  by  aeroplanes,  but  until  these  vehicles  are 
equipped  with  runners  for  landing  and  starting  on  the  snow,  we  shall  do  best 
to  plan  our  ascents  from  the  south  or  east  side. 

I  have  thus  briefly  pointed  out  the  favorite  routes  folloAved  in  exploring  the 
National  Park.     The  time  is  fast  approaching  when  it  will  be  a  truly  national 


Coming  around  Frying- Pan  Glacier. 


Mt.  Adams,  seen  from  the  Indian  Henry   Trail  seems  a  replica  of  Rainier- Tacoma,  as  \ie\ved  from  the  west. 

The  distance  is  about  forty  miles. 


X  5 


c.    o 
c    c 


U   « 


5!     a 

O  I 

C3      g 


H   E 


E  ■„ 


OjS 


54 


THE   AIOUXTAIX   THAT   WAS  'GOD' 


-^^^ 


Junction  of  North  and  South  Tahoina  Glaciers.     The  main  ice  stream  thus  formed,  seen  in  the  foreground,  feeds  Tahoma 

Fork  of  the  Nisqually  river.     The  Northern  part  of  North  Tahoma  Glacier,  seen  in  the  distance 

beyond  the  wedge  of  rocks,  feeds  a  tributary  of  the  Puyallup. 

recreation  ground,  well  known  to  Americans  in  every  State.  The  coming  of 
new  railways  to  Puget  Sound  and  the  development  of  new  facilities  for  reach- 
ing the  Mountain  make  this  certain.* 


*For  details  as  to  rates  for  transportation,  accommodations  and  guides,  see  Note  at  end 
of  tliis  cliapter. 


Winthrop  Glaciti   and  Si.   l{lm<)  Pass,  with  Kiith  .Mountain  (iht-  \S  c-dlSe)  on  riRht  and  Sour-Dough  Mountains  on  left. 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT 


55 


Portion  of  Paradise  Park  and  the  Tatoosh  Kange 


Every  step  to- 
ward making  the 
Park  more  acces- 
sible is  a  public 
benefit.  Exper- 
ienced travelers 
a  n  (1  m  o  n  n  t  a  i  n 
climbers  who 
have  visited  it 
nnite  in  declaring 
its  scenery  un- 
eqnaled  in  the 
I/nited  States  and 
unsurpassed  any- 
\v  here  in  t  h  e 
world. 

Until  recent 
years  it  was 
known  only  by 
the  hardy  f  e  w 
who     delight     in 

doing  difficult  things.  But  that  day  has  passed.  The  value  of  the  Park  to  the 
whole  American  people  is  coming  more  and  more  to  be  appreciated,  both  by 
them  and  by  their  official  representatives.  While  Congress  has  dealt  less 
liberally   with   this   than   with   the   other   great   National   Parks,    what   it   has 

appropriated   has 
"  ' '"  lioeii    well    spenl 

ill  liiiilding  an  in- 
valuable road. 
Tliis  is  a  continu- 
ation of  the  well- 
made  highway 
m  ;i  i  n  t  a  i  n  ed  by 
I'ici'fc  ('ouiity 
fi'oiii  'I' a  com  a. 
Avh  i  ell  passes 
1  h  iMi  II  gh  a  de- 
liulil  fill  couiilry 
of  |);irt  \\  wooded 
pr;iii'ifs  ;md  u\> 
IIk'  heavily  for- 
es led  slopes  to 
the  edge  of  the 
Poorest  Reserve. 
T  li  e  s  e     r  o  a  d  s 

Eastern  end  ot  thcTaloosh  Range.  ''"'IVf     pill     il     Wltll- 


56 


THE  MOrXTAIX   THAT  WAS  -GOD' 


in  the  power  of 
automobilists 
from  all  parts  of 
the  Coast  to  reach 
the  grandest  of 
American  moun- 
tains and  the 
largest  glaciers  in 
the  United  States 
south  of  Alaska. 
They  connect,  at 
Tacoma.  with  ex- 
cellent roads 
from  Seattle  and 
other  cities  on 
the  Sound,  as 
well  as  from 
Portland  and 
points  farther 
south.  The 
travel  from  these 
cities  has  already 
justified  the  con- 
struction of  the 
roads,  and  is  in- 
creasing every 
year.  Even  from 
California  many 
automobile  par- 
ties visit  the 
Mountain. 

Persons    who 
come  by  rail  may, 


Tug  of  \\  ar  betw  een  tei 


Ice  Bridge,  Ste\cns  Glacier 

as  I  have  said,  choose  between  the  train  service  of  the  Tacoma 

Eastern   Railway 

and  a  trip  by  au- 

tomobile.     For 

those  who  do  not 

come  in  their  own 

cars,    a    line    of 

k  .JUT  ^"^       ^KSM.    J^A  automobile  stages 

fli  ;    i^UBj-'-'IpBW^'fai^i^  from  Tacoma  has 

Ml  \  X    ■  "y^v^  ..  v^  been   established. 

'"     '        ■"'^t'^^  giving     regular 

and    comfortable 

ims  picked  from  the  feminine  contingent  of  the  Mountaineers.  I  1   cl  II  S  p      I    I  d  IH  11 


} 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT 


59 


^M£,r  . 


Reese's  Camp,  which  his  patrons  have  poetically  called  "Camp  of  the  Clouds."     A  tent  hotel  on  a  ridge  in  Paradise  Park. 

o\erlooking  Nisqually  Glacier.     This  is  the  usual  starting  point  of  parties  for  the 

Summit  over  the  South-side  route,  via  Gihraltar. 


daily  to  Longmire  Springs,  and  olfcring  one  of  tln^  most  enjoyabl,'  seenie  trips 

to  be  had  anywhere. 

The  most  important  movennMit  toward  making  the  Mountain  better  known 

and  more  aeeessilde  has  just  been  inaugurated,  with  good  promise  of  suc- 
cess. It  is  proposed  to 
extend  the  new  govern- 
ment road,  now  reaching 
Paradise  Park,  to  the 
other ' '  parks ' '  on  all  sides 
of  the  peak.  The  under- 
taking is  of  such  import- 
ance that  it  Avill  doubtless 
receive  prompt  approval 
and  proper  su|)port  from 
Congress. 

Congressional  action  for 
the  opening  of  thi.s  great 
alpine  area  to  public  use 
began  in  1899.  A  tract 
eighteen  nnles  stpiare.  to 
be  known  as  "Ranier 
National  I'arlv.'"*  was 
w  i  t  hd  v;\  \v  ii    fro  in    t  h  e 


Climbing  Paradise  Glacier. 


*  For  some  j'ears,  Congress  and  the  Interior  Department  spelled  it  "Ranier"!  A  well- 
known  Congressman  from  Seattle  put  tliom  straight,  and  it  has  since  lieen  offleially  "Rainier 
National  Park." 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT 


61 


2,146,600  acres  of  the 
Forest  Reserve,  pre- 
viously created.  The 
area  thus  set  apart 
for  the  enjoyment  of 
the  people  was  al- 
ready known  to  en- 
thusiasts and  explor- 
ers as  one  of  the 
world's  great  won- 
derlands. In  1861 
James  Longmire,  a 
prospector,  had  built 
a  trail  from  Yelm 
over  Mashell  moun- 
tain and  up  the  Nis- 
qually  river  to  Bear 
Prairie.  This  he  ex- 
tended in  1884  to  the 
spot  now  known  as 
Longmire  Springs, 
and  thence  up  the 
Nisqually  and  Para- 
dise rivers  to  the  re- 
gion now  called  Para- 
dise Park.  Part  of 
this  trail  was  widen- 
ed later  into  a  wagon 
road,  used  for  many 

years  by  persons  traveling  to  the  Paradise  country,  or  seeking  health  at  the 
remarkable  mineral  springs  on  the  tract  which  the  Longmires  acquired  from 
the  government  before  the  establishment  of  the  Forest  Reserve. 


Sluiskin  Falls,  150  Feet,  just  below  Paradise  Glacier 


Looking  across  Winthrop  Glacier  from  Avalanche  Camp,  on  the  East  side  of  Carbon  Glacier,  to  Steamboat  Pr 
(the  Wedge)  and  St.  Elmo  Pass.      Elevation  of  Camera,  about  8,500  feet. 


62 


THE   MOUNTAIN   THAT  WAS  'GOD" 


The  Longniire  I'oad.  I'ough  as  it 
was,  long  remained  the  best  route  to 
the  :\roiintain.  but  in  1903  the  late 
Franeis  AV.  Cushnian,  representative 
from  this  ►State,  persuaded  Congress 
to  authorize  the  survey  and  construc- 
tion of  a  better  one.  Work  was  not 
begun,  however,  until  ]906.  The 
yeai'ly  a])pi"opriations  have  been 
small,  and  total  only  $183,000  to  the 
end  of  1009. 

The  road,  as  now  open  to  Paradise 
valley,  is  a  monument  to  the  en- 
gineering skill  of  Mr.  Eugene  Rick- 
secker,  United  States  Assistant  Engi- 
neer, in  local  charge  of  the  work.  Over 
its  even  floor  you  go  from  the  west 
boundary  of  the  Forest  Reserve  up 
the  north  bank  of  the  Niscpially  river, 
as  far  as  the  foot  of  its  glacier. 
Crossing  on  the  bridge  here,  you 
climb  up  and  up.  around  the  face  of 
a  bluff  known  as  Gap  Point,  where  a 
step  over  the  retaining  wall  would 
mean  a  sheer  drop  of  a  thousand  feet 
into  the  river  below.  Thus  you  wind 
over  to  the  Paradise  river  and  up 
through  its  canyon  to  the  broad  and 
beautiful  valley  of  the  same  name 
above,  until  you  reach  Camp  of  the 
Clouds  and  its  picturesciue  tent  hotel. 
The  road  has  brought  you  a  zig-zag 
journey  of  twenty-four  miles  to  cover 
an  air-line  distance  of  twelve  and  a 
gain  in  elevation  of  3.800  feet.  It  is 
probably  uniciue  in  its  grades.  It  has 
no  descents.  Almost  everywhere  it 
is  a  gentle  climb.  Below  Longmire 
Springs  the  maximum  grade  is  2.5 
per  cent.,  and  the  average,  1.6  per  cent.  Beyond,  the  grade  is  steeper,  but 
nowhere  more  than  4  per  cent. 

The  alignment  and  grades  originally  planned  have  been  followed,  but  only 
one  stretch,  a  mile  and  a  ciuarter.  has  yet  been  widened  to  the  standard  width 
of  eighteen  feet.  Lacking  money  for  a  broader  road,  the  engineers  built  the 
rest  of  it  twelve  feet  wide.     They  Avisely  believed  that  early  opening  of  the 


Fairy  Falls  in  Goat  Lick  Basin.     This  series  of  waterfal 
has  a  drop  of  several  hundred  feet. 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT 


63 


■'*^^t^ 


route  for  vehicles  to 
Paradise,  even  though 
the  road  be  less  than 
standard  width,  would 
serve  the  public  by 
making  the  Park  bet- 
ter known,  and  thus 
arouse  interest  in  mak- 
ing it  still  more  acces- 
sible. It  will  require 
about  $60,000  to  com- 
plete the  road  to  stand- 
ard width,  and  make 
it  thoroughly  secure. 

The  next  step  in 
opening  the  National 
Park  to  public  use 
should  be  the  carrying 
out  of  Mr.  R  i  c  k  - 
seeker's  tine  plan  for  a 
road  around  the  Moun- 
tain. His  new  map  of 
the  Park,  printed  at 
the  end  of  this  volume, 
shows  the  route  pro- 
posed .  Leaving  the 
present  road  near 
Christine  Falls,  below 
the  Nisqually  glacier, 
he  would  double  back 
over  the  hills  to  Indian 

H7  TT  A  •  Checkerboard  Crevasses  on  lower  Cowlitz  Glacier,  with  Basalt  Cliffs  and   Cowlitz 

enrv   s      Hunting  „   ,    ,  ....  t,  .        •    ,•  , 

^  Park  above,  and  Little  i  ahoina  in  distance. 

Ground,    tlience    drop- 
ping into  the  canyon  of  Tahoma  Fork,  climbing  up  to  St.  Andrew's  Park,  and 
so  working  round  to  the  Mowich  glaciers.  Spray  Falls  and  the  great  "parks" 
of  the  north  sid(\     The  snout  of  each  glacier  would  be  reached   in  turn,  and 
the  high  pleateaus  which  the  glaciers  have  left  would  be  visited. 

Crossing  JMoraine  Park  and  Winthrop  glacier's  old  bed,  the  road  would 
ascend  to  Grand  Park  and  the  Sour  -  Dough  country  —  a  region  unsurpassed 
anywhere  on  the  Mountain  for  the  breadth  and  grandeur  of  its  views.  More 
descents,  climbs  and  detoui's  wouhl  l)ring  it  to  the  foot  of  White  glacier,  and 
thence  through  Summer  Land  and  Cowlitz  Park,  and  westward  to  a  junction 
with  the  exi.sting  road  in  Paradise  Park,  Its  elevation  would  i-aiiLic  between 
four  and  seven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The  route,  as  indicated  on  the 
map,  suggests  very  plainly  the  engineering  feats  involved  in  haiiuini:  roads  on 
these  steep  and  deeply-carved  slopes. 


:-^>. 


"^     ■ 

^' 

>. 

**»%>, 

.p.\riKlit.     11' 


u  I 


SO 


c    ^ 


\.  o 


66 


THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  -GOD" 


Mountain  Climbers  on  St.  Elmo  Pass,  North  side  o(  the  Wedge.     Vi 
from  upper  side  of  the  Pass.     Elevation,  9,000  feet. 


Between  eighty  and 
a  hundred  miles  of 
construction  \v  o  r  k 
woidd  be  required. 
costing  approxiniate- 
1\-  ij^l  0.000  a  mile. 
Including  the  comple- 
li(iii  of  the  present 
i'o;i(l  to  standard 
width.  Congress  will 
Ihus  have  to  provide 
a  round  million  if  it 
wislu\s  to  develop  the 
full  value  of  this  vast 
wonderland.  I  shall 
not  use  any  of  my 
little  space  in  trying 
to  prove  that  this 
(\\penditure  is  worth 
while.  Every  Con- 
gressman who  makes 
the  trip  over  the  new 
road  already  built 
will  know  it.  and 
know  why.  Such  a 
road  would  justify 
the  Congress  which 
authorizes  it.  immor- 
t.ilize  the  engineers 
\vh(»  build  it,  and 
hoiioi-  the  nati(^n  that 
owns  it. 


NOTE. 

Rates,  Accommodations,  Guides,  Etc.— The  fare  via  the  Tacoma  Eastern  Railway 
from  Tacoma  to  the  Mountain  is  $6  for  the  round  trip,  including  the  automobile-stage 
ride  over  the  new  government  road  from  Ashford  to  Longmii-e's  and  return.  Tickets 
are  good  for  the  season.  Parties  of  ten  or  more,  traveling  on  one  ticket,  $5  per  capita. 
A  week-end  ticket,  Saturday  to  Monday,  is  sold  at  $5. 

Automobile  stages  seating  ten  passengers  leave  the  office  of  the  De  Lape  Tours 
Company.  110  South  Ninth  street,  Tacoma,  for  the  Mountain  every  morning  during  the 
summer  at  7:30,  8  and  8:30  o'clock,  reaching  Longmire's  in  5%  hours.  Distance,  70 
miles.  Returning,  they  leave  Longmire's  at  3:30,  making  the  trip  down  in  4%  hours. 
The  route  is  over  the  new  Pierce  County  road  above  the  Nisqually  canyon  to  Ashford 
and  over  the  government  road  through  the  National  Park.  Fare  for  the  round  trip,  $7. 
Reservations  should  be  made  in  advance. 

Automobiles  are  permitted  to  enter  or  leave  the  National  Park  only  between  the 
hours  of  8  a.  m.  and  6  p.  m.  An  automobile  permit  must  be  purchased  at  the  keeper's 
lodge,  at  the  western  boundary  of  the  Park.     This  costs  $.5.  and  is  good  for  the  season, 


THE  NATIONAL  PARK  AND  HOW  TO  REACH  IT  67 

provided  that  its  owner  and  his  machine  observe  the  rules.  The  speed  limit  is  twelve 
miles  per  hour,  with  six  miles  on  curves.  Public  safety  demands  that  this  rule  be 
strictly  enforced  —  and  it  is.  Persons  violating  it  have  the  unpleasant  experience  of 
losing  their  permits  and  finding  their  cars  chained  up. 

The  National  Park  Inn,  Longmire  Springs,  provides  excellent  rooms  and  a  good 
table.  In  addition  to  the  rooms  in  the  Inn,  a  large  number  of  well-furnished  and  com- 
fortable tents  are  provided  near  by.  The  rates  range  from  $2.50  to  $3.75  a  day, 
American  plan. 

At  the  old  Longmire  hotel,  the  rates  are  $2  to  $2.50  for  room  and  board. 

The  mineral  springs  are  of  great  variety,  and  are  highly  recommended  for  their 
medicinal  virtues.  Within  an  area  of  several  acres,  there  are  a  score  of  these  springs, 
varying  from  the  normal  temperature  of  a  mountain  stream  almost  to  blood  heat.  Well- 
appointed  bath  houses  are  maintained.     Fee,  including  attendance,  $1. 

The  cost  of  getting  from  Longmire  Springs  to  Paradise  Park  or  Indian  Henry's  is 
moderate.  Many  prefer  to  make  these  trips  on  foot.  Daily  parties,  with  experienced 
guides,  are  made  up  several  times  a  day  for  the  trails  to  each  of  these  great  "parks." 
Sure-footed  horses  are  provided  for  those  who  wish  to  ride,  at  $1.50  for  the  round  trip. 

A  line  of  stages  carries  passengers  from  Longmire's  over  the  government  road  to 
Nisqually  glacier,  Narada  Falls  and  Camp  of  the  Clouds,  in  Paradise  Park.  The  charge 
for  the  trip  to  Narada  and  return  is  $2;  to  Paradise  Park  and  return,  $3. 

At  Reese's  Camp,  in  Paradise  Park,  and  at  the  similar  tent  hotel  in  Indian  Henry's, 
the  charge  for  meals,  with  a  tent  for  sleeping,  is  $2.50  per  day. 

Guides  may  be  had  at  the  National  Park  Inn  or  at  either  of  the  "camps"  for  many 
interesting  trips  over  the  mountain  trails.  Horses  also  are  furnished.  The  charge  varies 
with  the  number  In  a  party. 

For  those  who  wish  to  make  the  ascent  over  the  Gibraltar  trail,  trustworthy  guides 
may  be  engaged  at  the  National  Park  Inn  or  at  Reese's  Camp.  Arrangements  should 
be  made  several  days  in  advance.  The  cost  of  such  a  trip  depends  upon  the  number  in 
a  party.  The  guides  make  an  initial  charge  of  $25  for  the  first  member  of  the  party. 
and  $5  each  for  the  others.  They  will  furnish  alpenstocks,  ropes,  and  calks  for  the  shoes 
of  mountain  climbers  at  a  reasonable  charge.  Each  person  should  carry  with  him  a 
blanket  or  extra  coat  and  a  small  amount  of  food,  for  use  in  the  event  of  being  on  the 
summit  over  night.  Still  heavier  clothing  will  be  required  if  the  night  is  to  be  spent  at 
Camp  Muir. 

Ascents  from  other  points  than  Reese's  are  usually  made  in  special  parties,  under 
the  guidance  of  persons  familiar  with  the  routes.  All  persons  are  warned  not  to  attempt 
an  ascent  unless  accompanied  by  experienced  guides.  Lives  have  been  lost  through 
neglect  of  this  precaution. 

For  persons  visiting  the  North  Side,  the  Northern  Pacific  rate  from  Tacoma  to 
Fairfax  is  $1.25;  and  from  Seattle  to  Fairfax,  with  change  of  cars  at  Puyallup,  $1.75. 
Guides  and  horses  may  be  engaged  at  Fairfax  for  the  Spray  Park  trail. 


•^^ 

IW^ 

:;3tt 

flBMi^§?'^^tkiis£ 

''^"'^^^'^^& 

<lc 

t^^^ 

^ 

^^S 

9h 

^"-^ 

hSB 

^ 

sv         'Vm^H 

■R^l 

*.\. 

^*^i^ 

8HiV|^ 

!l 

Ipp 

P^ 

Passing  a  hig  Crevasse  on   Interglacier.     Sour- Dough  Mountains  on  the  riglit,  with   (>rand  Park  beyond. 
Ruth  Mountain  (the  Wedge)  and  St.  Khno  Pass  on  left,  with  Glacier  Basin  in  depression. 


-^0,0^ 


"^^^ 


The  Mountaineers  on  \\  inthrop  Glacier. 
III. 

THE    STORY    OF    THE    :\IOUNTAIN 

I  asked  myself.  How  was  this  colossal  work  performed?  Who  chiseled  these  mighty 
and  picturesque  masses  out  of  a  mere  protuberance  of  earth?  And  the  answer  was  at 
hand.  Ever  young,  ever  mighty,  with  the  vigor  of  a  thousand  worlds  still  within  him, 
the  real  sculptor  was  even  then  climbing  up  the  eastern  sky.  It  was  he  who  planted 
the  glaciers  on  the  mountain  slopes,  thus  giving  gravity  a  plough  to  open  out  the 
valleys;  and  it  is  he  who,  acting  through  the  ages,  will  finally  lay.  low  these  mighty 
monuments,  *  *  *  gQ  j^}^^^  ^-j^^  people  of  an  older  earth  may  see  mould  spread  and 
corn  wave  over  the  hidden  rocks  which  at  this  moment  bear  the  weight  of  the  Jungfrau. 
— John  Tyndall:  "Hours  of  Exercise  in  the  Alps." 

The  life  of  a  glacier  is  one  eternal  grind. — John  .Muir. 

OUR  stately  Mountain,  in  its  youth,  was  as  comely  and  symmetrical  a  cone 
as  ever  graced  the  galaxy  of  volcanic  peaks.    To-day,  while  still  young 
as  compared  with  the  obelisk  crags  of  the  Alps,  it  has  already  taken 
on  the  venerable  and  deeply-scarred  physiognomy  of  a  veteran.    It  is  no  longer 
merely  an  overgrown  boy  among  the  hills,  but,  cut  and  torn  by  the  ice  of  cen- 
turies, it  is  fast  assuming  the  dignity  and  interest  of  a  patriarch  of  the  mountains. 


Crossing  Carbon  Glacier.     On  the  ice  slopes,  it  is  customary  to  divide  a  large  party  into  companies,  with  an  experienced 

alpinist  at  the  head  of  each.     The  picture  shows  the  Mountaineers  marching  in  tens. 

Note  the  Medial  Moraines  on  the  Glacier. 


Nisqually  Glacier,  with  its  sources  in  the  Snow  Field  of  the  Summit.  On  the  right  is  Gibraltar  K<ick  and  on  the  extreme  left 
Kaut7.  Glacier  flows  down  from  Peak  Success.  Note  the  Medial  Moraines.  rcsullinS  frcnii  junction  oflce  Streams  above. 
These  apparently  small  lines  of  dirt  are  often  great  ridges  of  rocks,  cut  from  the  clilVs.  The  picture  also  illustrates  how  the 
marginal  crevasses  of  a  glacier  point  down  stream  from  the  center,  though  the  center  Hows  faster  than  the  sides. 


"   c    S 


O    X    _ 

a:  "  >' 


1-  c  - 

■3  .=  ^31l 

I  -^  C 

«  c  — 


o  !5  "1 

o   u  s 


o  Q- 


Mi 

£    H   c 


c  -s  c 


u   . 


THE   STORY   OP  THE   MOUXTAIX 


To  s  ()  m  e  ,  no 
d  0  11  b  t  ,  the 
smooth,  .youthful 
contours  of  an  ac- 
tive volcano  seem 
more  beautiful 
than  the  rugged 
grandeur  of  the 
Weisshorn.  The 
perfect  cone  of 
Mt.  St.  Helens, 
until  recently  in 
eruption,  pleases 
them  more  than 
the  broad  dome 
of  Mt.  Adams, 
rounded  by  a 
prehistoric  ex- 
plosion. But  not 
so  with  all.  To 
those  who  love 
nature  and  the 
story  written 
upon  its  face, 
mountains  have 


Measuring  the  Ice  Flow  in  the  Nisqually  Glacier.  In  1905  Prof.  J.  N.  Le  Conte  of 
Berkeley,  Gal.,  established  the  fact  that  this  Glacier  has  an  average  flow,  in  sum- 
mer, of  16.2  inches  a  day.  The  movement  is  greater  in  the  center  than  on  the  sides, 
and  greater  on  the  convex  side  of  a  curve  than  on  the  concave  side.  It  thus  is  a  true 
river,  though  a  slow  one.  The  measurements  are  taken  by  running  a  line  from  one 
lateral  moraine  to  the  other  with  a  surveying  instrument,  setting  stakes  at  short 
intervals,  and  ascertaining  the  advance  they  make  from  day  to  day. 


character     as 

truly  as  men.  and  they  show  it  in  their  features  as  clearly. 

Nowhere  is  this  better  exemplified  than  in  the  monarch  of  the  Cascades. 
No  longer  the  huge  conical  pimple  which  a  volcano  erected  on  the  earth's 
crust,  it  bears  on  its  face  the  history  of  its  own  explosion,  which  scattered  its 
top  far  over  the  landscape,  and  of  its  losing  battle  with  the  sun,  which,  em- 
ploying the  heaviest  of  all  tools,  is  steadily  destroying  it.  It  has  already  lost 
a  tenth  of  its  height  and  a  third  of  its  bulk.  The  ice  is  cutting  deeper  and 
deeper  into  its  sides.  Upon  three  of  them,  it  has  excavated  great  amphitheaters 
which  it  is  ceaselessly  driving  back  toward  the  heart  of  the  peak.  As  if  to 
compensate  for  these  losses  of  size  and  shapeliness,  the  Mountain  has  become 
the  most  interesting  monument  and  presents  the  most  important  phenomena 
of  glacial  action  to  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  United  States. 

In  dimensions  alone,  however,  it  is  still  one  of  the  world's  great  peaks. 
The  Rainier  National  Park,  eighteen  miles  square,  —  as  large  as  many  counties 
in  the  East  —  has  an  elevation  along  its  western  and  lowest  boundary  averaging 
four  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  Assuming  a  diameter  of  only  twenty  miles, 
the  area  covered  by  the  peak  exceeds  three  hundred  s(|uare  miles.  Of  its  vast 
surface  upwards  of  32,500  acres,  or  about  fifty-one  square  miles,  are  covered 
by  glaciers  or  the  fields  of  perpetual  snow  which  feed  them.     A  straight  line 


THE  xMOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  •QOD" 


These  views   show   the   larger  of  the  two    comparatively   modern    and    small    craters   on  the  broad  platform  left  by  the 

and  1,450  feet  from  Fast  to  V\est.     The  other,  much  smaller,  adjoins  it  so  closely  that  their  rims  touch. 

miles  from  North  Peak  (Liberty  Cap)  and   South  Peak  (Peak  Success).      At  the 

Crest."    The  volcano  having  long  been  inactive,  the  craters  are  filled 


drawn  through  fi-om  Iht^  cud  of  Xoiili  Tnlioiiia  lilacicr.  on  the  west  side,  to  the 
end  of  White  glacier,  on  the  east,  would  be  thirteen  miles  long.  The  circum- 
ference of  the  crest,  on  the  10.000  foot  contour,  is  nearly  seven  miles.  The 
twelve  primary  glaciers  vary 
in  length  from  three  to  eight 
miles,  and  from  half  a  mile 
to  three  miles  in  width. 
There  are  as  many  "inter- 
glaciers."  or  smaller  ice 
streams  which  gather  their 
snow  supply,  not  from  the 
neve  fields  of  the  summit,  but 
below  the  wedges  of  rock 
which  the  greater  glaciers 
have  left  standing  vipon  the 
upper  slopes. 

The  geological  story  may 
be  told  in  a  few  untechnical 
words.  As  those  folds  in  the 
earth  which  parallel  the 
Coast  were  slowly  formed  by 
the  lateral  pressure  of  sea 
upon  land,  fractures  occurred 
in  the  incline  thus  created. 
Through  the  fissures  that 
resulted  the  subterranean 
fires  thrust  molten  rock  which 
formed  volcanic  craters.   The 

most    active    craters    built    up.         Climbing  the  Cowlitz  Cleaver  to  Gibraltar.     This  Spine  is  one  of  the 
,  .  pi  1  great  ridges  left  by  the  glaciers.    On  the  other  side  of  it  is  a  drop 

by      eruptions     Ot       lava       and  „,  several  thousand  feet  to  Nisqually  Glacier. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE   MOUNTAIN 


73 


explosion    which  decapitated    the    Peak.      Prof.  Flett   measured  this  Crater,  and  found  it  1,60U  feet  from  North  to  South, 
Together   they   form  an   eminence  of  1,000  feet  on  top  of  the  Mountain,  at  a  distance  of  more  than  two 
junction  of  their  rims  is  the  great  snow    hill  (on    right  of   view  )   called   "Columbia's 
with  snow,  but  steam  and  gases  escape  in  places  along  their  rims. 

ashes,  a  yreat  series  of  cones  now  seen  on  both  sides  of  the  Cordillera,  that 
huge  mountain  system  which  borders  the  Pacific  from  Behring  sea  to  the 
Straits  of  Magellan.  Tacoma-Rainier  is  one  of  the  more  important  units  in  this 
army  of  volcanic  giants. 

Unlike  some  of  its  companions,  however,  it  owes  its  bulk  less  to  lava  flows 
than  to  the  explosive  eruptions  which  threw  forth  bombs  and  scoriae.  It  is 
a  mass  of  agglomerates,  with  only  occasional  strata  of  solid  volcanic  rock. 
This  becomes  evident  to  one  who  inspects  the  exposed  sides  of  any  of  the 
canyons,  or  of  the  great  cliffs.  Gibraltar  Rock,  Little  Tahoma  or  Russell  Peak. 
It  is  made  clear  even  in  such  a  picture  as  that  on  page  77  of  tliis  hook. 


Lunching  in  a  Crevasse,  1.^,000  feet  above  the  sea.      Kven  l.iltle   I'ahoma,  on  the  left.  Is  far  below. 


74 


THE  MOUNTAIN   THAT   WAS  -CtOD' 


Ice-bound  lake  in  Cowlitz  Park,  with  top  of 
Little  Tahoma  in  distance. 

striictive  power  must  have 
been  when  their  volume  was 
many  times  greater  may  be 
judged  from  the  moraines 
along  their  former  channels. 
Some  of  these  ridges  are  hun- 
dreds of  feet  in  height.  As 
you  go  to  the  Mountain  from 
Tacoma,  either  by  the  Tacoma 
Eastern  railway  or  the  Nis- 
qually  canyon  road,  you  find 
them  everywhere  above  the 
prairies.  Many  of  them  are 
covered  with  forests  that  must 
be  centuries  old. 

Even     now.     diminished    as 


This  looseness  of  structure 
accounts  for  the  rapidity  with 
which  the  glaciers  are  cutting 
down  the  peak.  All  of  them 
carry  an  extraordinary  amount 
of  debris,  to  be  deposited  in 
lateral  or  terminal  moraines, 
or  dropjnMJ  in  streams  whicli 
they  feed.  They  are  rivers  of 
rock  as  well  as  of  ice. 

That  the  glaciers  of  this  and 
every  other  mountain  in  the 
northern  hemisphere  are  rapid- 
ly receding,  and  that  they  are 
now  mere  pygmies  compared 
with  their  former  selves,  is 
well   known.    What   their   de- 


Crevasses  in  Cowlitz  Glacier,  with  waterfall  dropping  from 
Cowlitz  Park,  over  Basaltic  Cliffs. 


,7         .     ■ 


Spray   Park,  from   Fay   Peak.  showinB  the  beautiful  region   between   the  Carbon  and   North   Movvich   Glaciers 


THE  STORY   OF  THE   :\IOrXTAIX 


77 


they  are.  the  glaciers 
are  fast  transporting 
the  Mountain  toward 
the  sea.  Where vei-  ;i 
ulaeier  skirts  a  cliff, 
it  is  cutting-  into  its 
side,  as  it  cuts  into 
its  own  bed  below. 
From  the  overhang- 
ing rocks,  too.  debris 
falls  upon  the  ice 
stream.  Thus  the 
marginal  moraines 
begin  to  form,  on  the 
ice,  far  up  the  side  of 
the  peak.  As  the  gla- 
cier advances,  driven 
by  its  own  Aveight  and 
the  resistless  mass  of 
snow  above,  it  is 
often  joined  by  an- 
other glacier,  bring- 
ing its  own  marginal 
moraines.  Where  the 
two  meet,  a  medial 
moraine  results.  * 
Some  medial  moraines 
are  many  feet  high. 
Trees  are  found 
growing  on  them.  In 
Switzerland  houses 
are  built  upon  them. 
Often  the  debris 
which  they  transport, 
as  the  ice  carries 
them  forward,  in- 
cludes rocks  as  big 
as  a  ship. 

A     glacier's     flow 

varies  from  a  hundred  to  ;i  thousiiiid  feet  or  more  a  year,  dciicnding  u|)ou  its 
volume.  its  width,  nnd  the  slope  of  its  bed.  .\s  I  he  (h'cades  pass, 
its  level  is  greatly  lowered  l)y  the  iiu'lting  of  the  ice.  .More  and  more,  earth 
and  rocks  accumulate  upon  the  sur-face.  as  it  travels  onward,  and  ai-c  scattei-ed 
over  it  by  the  rains  juhI  mclliiiL;  snow.     .\t  last,  in  its  old  ni^c.  wlieii   fnr  down 


Mazamas  rounding  Gibraltar— a  reminiscence  of  the  ascent  by  the  famous  Portland 
Club  in  19().S.     The  precipice  rises  more  than  lOOO'feetlabove  the  trail. 


See  iUu.'iti'ation.s  on   pp.   iis;  nml   i;!i. 


THE  MOUNTAIN   THAT  WAS    -GOD" 


its  can3'on.  the  glacier  is  completely  hidden,  save  where  crevasses  reveal  the 
ice.  Only  at  its  snout,  where  it  In-eaks  off.  as  a  rule,  in  a  high  wall  of  ice,  do 
we  realize  how  huge  a  volume  and  weight  it  must  have,  far  above  toward  its 
sources,  or  why  so  man\-  nf  the  crevasses  on  the  ui)i)('r  ice  tields  seem  almost 
bottomless. 

These  hints  of  the  almost  iiu-onceivable  mass  of  a  glacier,  with  its  millions 
of  millions  of  tons,  suggest  how  mucli  of  the  Mountain  has  already  been 
whittled  and  planed  away.  But  here  we  may  do  better  than  speculate.  The 
original  surface  of  the  peak  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  to])s  of  the  great  rocks 
which  have  survived  the  glacial  sculpturing.  They  are  from  one  to  two 
thousand  feet  higli.  Tlu'  l)est  known  are  Gibraltar  and  the  ridges  that  stretch 
downward  from  it.  Cowlitz  Cleaver  and  Cathedral  Rocks,  making  a  great 
inverted  V.  E  a  s  t  - 
ward  of  this,  another 
V.  with  its  apex  to- 
ward the  summit,  is 
called  Little  Tahoma ; 
and  beyond,  still  an- 
other, Steamboat 
Prow,  forming  the 
tip  of  "The  Wedge." 

Spines  of  rock  like 
these  are  found  on  all 
sides  of  the  peak. 
They  help  us  to  esti- 
mate its  greater  cir- 
cumference and  bulk, 
before  the  glaciers 
had  chiseled  so  deep- 
ly into  it. 

Hut  they  do  even 
more.  Wherever  lava 
flows  occurred  in  the 
building  of  the^Iouu- 
tain,  strata  formed : 
and  such  stratifica- 
tion is  clearly  seen  at 
wide  intervals  on  the 
sides  of  the  great 
rocks  .iust  mentioned. 
Its  inclin(\  of  course 
is  that  of  the  former 
surface.  The  strata 
point    upward  —  not       ^ ,^^     ,.  .^    ,^.^   ,        „, .  .  .u..u  .-, 

'^  '^  Climbing  the     Chute     on  west  side  of  Gibraltar.     This  is  so  steep  that  the  guides 

toward    the    summit  cut  steps  in  the  ice. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN 


79 


4  .^^ 


which  we  see,  but 
far  above  it.  For 
this  reason  the 
geologists  w  h  o 
have  examined 
the  ridges  most 
closely  are  agreed 
that  the  peak  has 
lost  nearly  tAvo 
thousand  feet  of 
its  height.  It 
blew  its  own 
head  off! 

Such  explosive 
eruptions  are 
among  the  worst 
vices  of  volcan- 
oes. Every  vis- 
itor to  Naples  re- 
m  embers  how 
plainly  the  land- 
scape north  of 
Vesuvius  tells  of 
a  prehistoric  de- 
capitation, which 
left  only  a  low. 
broad  platform. 
on  the  south  rim 
of  which  the  little 
Vesuvius  that 
many  of  us  have 
climbed  was 
formed  by  later 
eruptions.  Simi- 
larly,   liere    at 

home,  Mt.  Adams  and  Mt.  Baker  jii'c  Iruncated  eoiics.  while  on  the  otlici-  hand. 
St.  Helens  and  Hood  are  still  symiiu'trical. 

Like  Vesuvius,  too,  Rainier-Taconia  has  huilt  ii|)()ii  the  plateau  h'l't  when 
it  lost  its'  head.  Peak  Success,  overlooking  Indian  Henry's,  and  Liberty  Cap. 
the  northern  elevation,  seen  from  Seattle  and  Tacoma.  are  nearly  throe  miles 
apart  on  the  west  side  of  the  broad  summit.  These  arc  pai-ts  ol'  llic  rim  i)f 
the  old  crater.  East  of  the  line  uniting  them,  and  about  Iwo  miles  from  each, 
the  volcano  built  up  an  elevation  now  known  as  C'ralci-  Teak,  comprising  two 
small  adjacent  craters.  These  burnt-out  craters  are  ni>\v  lilled  with  snow,  and 
where  the  rims  touch,  a  l)ig  snow-hill  rises  —  the  strange  ci'caturc  of  eddying 


i 


Looking  from  top  of  Gibraltar  over  the  Snow-fields  to  the  Summit.  Elevation  of  camera. 
12,l?00  feet.  In  distance  is  seen  the  rim  of  the  Crater.  The  route  to  this  is  a  steady 
climb,  with  2,000  feet  of  ascent  in  one  mile  of  distance.  Many  detours  have  to  be 
made  to  avoid  crevasses.  Note  the  big  crevasse  stretching  away  on  right — a 
"Bergschrund,"  as  the  Swiss  call  a  break  where  one  side  falls  far  below  the  other. 
The  stratification  on  its  side  shows  in  each  layer  a  year's  snow,  packed  into  ice. 


!  »  ^^' 


r(   V 


=»- 


'.■■'.  'S^l'v  -J-'-^y ,   •  "';' 

^     -V.*'-^"..'  ..-,1  1 


'4:^ 

'::^' 


.iC    ffl 


S   E 


S.  2 


i  O 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN 


81 


North  Peak,  or  "Liberty  Cap."  so  called  from  its  resemblance  to  the  Bonnet  Kouge  of  the  French   Revolutionists. 

Elevation,  about  14,000  feet.    View  taken  from  the  side  of  Crater  Peak,  the  easternmost  and  highest 

of  the  three  peaks   which   crown  the  Summit.     Distance,  more  than  two  miles. 


winds  tliat  sweep  ii{)  thr()U<ih  the  jzreat  flume  ent  1)\-  volcanic  explosion  and 
glacial  action  in  the  west  side  of  the  peak.  * 

This  mound  of  snow  is  the  present  actual  top.  Believing  it  the  highest 
point  in  the  United  States  south  of  Alaska,  the  alpinists  some  years  ago  named 
it  "Columl)ia's  Crest."  The  luime  has  stuck,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 
government  geographers  have  adopted,  for  the  Dictionary  of  Altitudes,  the 
height  found  by  Prof.  McAdie.  14.363  feet,  thus  ranking  the  iNIountain  second 
to  Mt.  Whitney,  in  California   (14,522  feet). 

There  are  those,  however,  who  refuse  to  be  disabused  of  their  l)elief  that 
the  height  of  14.529  feet,  found  by  many  scientitic  investigators  as  a  result  of 
careful  barometric  observations,  is  the  true  altitude.  It  is  probable  that 
scientists  will  not  be  content  until  the  question  shall  have  l)een  settled  l)y  a 
eompeteiit  and  impartial  commission.  For  the  present,  however,  I  give  llie 
official  figures.  A  few  feet  of  height  signify  nothing.  No  California  peak, 
hidden  away  behind  the  Si(M"ra.  can  vie  in  majesty  with  the  ^lountaiii 
that  i-iscs  in  stately  grandeur  from  the  shores  of  Puget  Sound. 

The  wide  area  which  the  .Mounlain  thrusts  up  into  the  sky  is  a  liigldy 
efficient  condenser  of  moisture.  Near  to  the  Pacific  as  i1  is.  it  coUects  several 
hundi'ed  feet  of  suow  each  year  from  the  warm  Chinooks.  and  on  all  sides  this 
mass  presses  (h)wn.  to  feed  the  pi-imary  ghiciers  of  the  ii|)[)ef  slopes.  Sfaiiing 
from    Paradise,    tliese    in    order    are:    Cowlitz    and    Inui'aliaiii    i;laciei's:    White 


*   See  ilUi.stration  on  page   L'S,   \vlii<li 
also  the  tliree  peaks  on  the  .summit. 


allows  ncil    unl\-    tlic  ,|,.rp  clci'i    (III    the   we.st   side,   but 


82 


THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  'GOD' 


glacier,  largest  of  all;  ^Yinthr()p  glacier,  named  in  honor  of  Theodore  Winthrop. 
in  whose  delightful  romance  of  travel,  "The  Canoe  and  the  Saddle,"  the  ancient 
Indian  name  "Tacoma"  was  first  printed;  Carbon,  North  and  Sonth  Mowieh. 
Puyalhip,  North  and  South  Tahoma,  Kautz  and  Nisqually  glaciers. 

The  most  important  secondary  glaciers,  or  "interglaciers,"  rising  below 
the  rock  wedges,  are  Interglacier,  Paradise,  Stevens,  Frying-Pan  and  Van 
Trump. 

There  has  been  considerable  uncertainty  as  to  some  of  these  names,  chietiy 
due  to  a  recent  government  map.  For  instance,  in  that  publication.  White 
glacier,  most  properly  so  called  because  it  feeds  the  White  river,  was  named 
Emmons  glacier,  after  S.  F.  Emmons,  a  geologist  who  made  one  of  the  first 
explorations  of  the  peak.  North  and  South  Mowieh  glaciers,  feeding  streams 
similarly  named,  were  miscalled  Willis  and  Edmunds  glaciers,  after  Bailey 
Willis,  geologist,  and  George  F.  Edmunds,  late  United  States  senator,  who 
visited  the  IMountain  many  years  ago.  South  Tahoma  glacier  was  renamed 
Wilson  glacier,  for  A.  D.  Wilson.  Emmons's  companion  in  exploration.  Finally, 
the  name  of  General  Hazard  Stevens,  who  made  the  first  ascent  of  the  peak  in 
1870,  was  misplaced,  being  given  to  the  west  branch  of  the  Nisqually,  whereas 
Stevens  glacier  is  the  w^ell-defined  interglacier  adjoining  the  Paradise  on 
the  east. 

Such  errors  in  a  government  document  are  the  more  inexcusable  because 
their  author  ignored  names  adopted  in  the  original  publications  of  the  Geolog- 
ical Survey.  The  new  map  prepared  by  Mr.  Ricksecker,  and  printed  herewith, 
returns  to  the  older  and  better  usage.  Unless  good  reason  can  be  shown  for 
departing  from  it.  his  careful  compilation  should  be  accepted  as  authoritative. 


The  Mountaineers  crossing  a  precipitous  slope  on  White  Glacier.     Little  Tahoma  in  distance. 


THE   STORY   OF  THE   MOI\\TAIX 


83 


Hydro-electric  plant  at  Electron,  on  the  Puyalliip  river,  producing  28,000  h.  p. 


A  word  about  the  industrial  value  of  the  ^Mountain  may  not  be  without 
interest  in  this  day  of  electricity.  It  is  well  known  that,  within  a  radius  of 
sixty  miles  of  the  head  of  Puget  Sound,  more  water  descends  from  high  levels 
to  the  sea  than  in  any  other  similar  area  in  the  United  States.  The  greater 
part  of  this  is  collected  on  the  largest  peak.  Hydraulic  engineers  have  esti- 
mated, on  investigation,  an  average  annual  precipitation,  for  the  summit  and 
upper  slopes,  of  at  least  180  inches,  or  four  times  the  rainfall  in  Tacoma  or 
Seattle.  The  melting  snows  feed  the  White.  Puyallup  and  Nisqually  rivers, 
large  streams  flowing  into  the  Sound,  and  the  Cowlitz,  an  important  tributary 
of  the  Columbia.  The  minimum  flow  of  these  streams  is  computed  at  more 
than  1200  second  feet,  while  their  average  flow  is  nearly  twice  that  total. 

The  utilization  of  this  large  water  supply  on  the  steep  mountain  slopes 
began  in  1904  with  the  erection  of  the  Electron  plant  of  the  Puget  Sound 
Power  Company.  For  this  the  water  is  diverted  from  the  Puyallup  river  ten 
miles  from  the  end  of  its  glacier,  and  1750  feet  above  sea  level,  and  carried 
ten  miles  more  in  an  open  flume  to  a  reservoir,  from  which  four  steel  penstocks, 
each  four  feet  in  diameter,  carry  it  to  the  power  house  900  feet  below.  The 
plant  generates  28,000  h.  p.,  which  is  conveyed  to  Tacoma,  twenty-five  miles 
distant,  at  a  pressure  of  60,000  volts,  and  there  is  distributed  for  the  operation 
of  street  railways,  lights  and  factories  in  that  city  and  Seattle. 

A  more  important  development  is  in  progress  on  the  larger  White  river 
near  Buckley,  where  the  Pacific  Coast  Power  Company  is  diverting  the  water 
by  a  dam  and  eiglit-iuih'  canal  to  Lake  Tapps,  elevation  540  feet  above  tide. 
From  this  great  reservoir  it  will  be  taken  through  a  tunnel  and  pipe  line  to 
the  generating  plant  at  Deiringer.  elevation  65  feet.  The  100,000  h.  p.  produced 
here  will  be  carried  fifteen  miles  to  Tacoma.  for  sale  to  manufacturers  in  the 
Puget  Sound  cities. 

Both  these  plants  jirc  cnlci'id-iscs  n\'  Stone  c^   \V('l)st('r,  of  Boston.     A  com- 


84 


THE   MOIWTAIX   THAT   WAS  "GOD" 


pctitive  i)lant  is  now  iukIi'I" 
construction  by  the  city  of 
Tacoma.  utilizing-  the  third 
of  the  rivers  eni])tyin^'  into 
the  Sound.  The  Xis(|ually 
is  dammed  nlxixc  its  I'c- 
niai'kable  canyon,  at  an  ele- 
vation of  970  feet,  where  its 
ininininm  tlow  is  300  second 
feet.  Tlie  water  will  be  car- 
ried throu-h  a  lO.OOO-foot 
tunnel  and  o\ci-  a  Itriduc  to 
a  resei'voii-  ;it  La  (Jrande. 
tVojii    which    the    penstocks 


Building  Tacoma's 
Electric  Power 
Plant  on  the  Nis- 
q  II  ally  Canyon. 
Upper  view  shows 
site  of  retention 
dam,   above   tunnel: 


middle  view,  end  of 
tunnel,  where  pipe- 
line will  cross  the 
canyon  on  a  bridge; 
lower  view,  site  of 
the  generating 
plant. 


will  carry  it  down  the  side 
of  the  canyon  to  the  40.000 
h.  p.  generating-  plant  on 
the  river  below.  The  city 
expects  to  be  able  to  pro- 
duce power  for  its  own  use. 
with  a  considerable  margin 
for  sale,  at  a  cost  at  least  as 
low  as  can  be  attained  any- 
when^  in  the  rtiited  States. 
Its  success  will  be  largely 
due  to  the  admirable  de- 
signs and  beginning  of  con- 
stiMU'tion   made    under   Mr. 


/-/ 


"^  \  -^  P  A  i;^^ 


THE   STORY   OF  THE  MOUNTAIN 


87 


Fr;mk  ('.  Ivelsey. 
fornit'i"  chief  en- 
gineer. 

The  rocks  of 
wliieh  tlie  Moun- 
tain is  eomposed 
are  mainly  ande- 
sites  of  different 
classes  and  basalt. 
But  the  peak  rests 
upon  a  platform  of 
granite,  into  which 
the  glaciers  have 
ent  in  their  i)rog- 
ress.  Several  of  the 
canyons  disclose 
fine  outcroppings 
of  the  old(M'  and 
harder  rock.  These 
are  especially 
clear  on  the  side  of 
the  Nisqually.  just 
below  the  present 
end  of  its  glacier, 
as  well  (IS  on  the 
('arl)on  and  in  Mo- 
raine Pai-k.  which 
was  until  recently 
the  bed  of  a  glaciei-. 


Admiral  Peter  F<ainler.  ot  the  British  Navy,  in  whose  honor  Captain  George  Vancouver, 
in  1792,  named  the  great  peak"Mt.  Rainier." 

his  aiM'onirs  for  the  fact  that  the  river  betls  are  full 

of  granite  bowld- 
ers, w  h  i  c  h  a  r  e 
grinding  the  soft- 
ei"  volcanic  shin- 
gle into  soil.  Tims 
Ihe  glaciers  are 
not  oni\'  fast  de- 
I'ofMiingthe  peak. 
Thc_\-  are  ''sow- 
ing the  seeds  of 
CO  n  t  i  n  I'  II  t  s     to 


F.cho  Rock,  on  w.'sl  branch  of  (^arhon  (ilacier. 


-  is 


5  'i  « 


3U  i 
—    o 


•a  5 

=  .2 

■J  s 

u  a 


"Z  'i 

.i!  S 

a  = 

2  - 


•..p.\riKlit,    l: 
looking  across  Moraine  Park  and  Carbon  Glacier  to  Mother  Mountains. 


Asiihcl    Curtis 


IV. 

THE   FLORA   OF   THP]   ]\IOUNTAL\    SLOPES 

By  PROF.   J.   B.    Fl.KTT   * 

Of  all  the  fire-mountains  which,  like  beacons,  once  blazed  along  the  Pacific  Coast, 
Mount  Rainier  is  the  noblest  in  form.  Its  massive  white  dome  rises  out  of  its  forests, 
like  a  world  by  itself.  Above  the  forests  there  is  a  zone  of  the  loveliest  flowers,  fifty 
miles  in  circuit  and  nearly  two  miles  wide,  so  closely  planted  and  luxuriant  that  it  seems 
as  if  Nature,  glad  to  make  an  open  space  between  woods  so  dense  and  ice  so  deep, 
were  economizing  the  precious  ground,  and  trying  to  see  how  many  of  her  darlings 
she  can  get  together  in  one  mountain  wreath  —  daisies,  anemones,  columbines, 
erythroniums,  larkspurs,  etc.,  among  which  we  wade  knee-deep  and  waist-deep,  the 
bright  corollas  in  myriads  touching  petal  to  petal.  Altogether  this  is  the  richest 
subalpine  garden  1  ever  found,  a  perfect  floral  elysium. — John  Muir:  "Our  National 
Parks." 


N 


0  ONE  can  visit  the  Mountain  with- 
out beino'  impressed  by  its  wild 
flowers.  These  are  the  more  noticeable 
because  of  their  hi<>h  color  —  a  common 
characteristic  of  flowers  in  alpine  reiiions. 
As  we  visit  the  Mountain  at  a  season  when 
the  spring  flowers  of  the  lowlands  have  gone 
to  seed,  we  find  there  another  spring  season 
with  flowers  in  still  greater  number  and  more 
varied  in  color. 

The  base  of  the  Mountain  up  to  an  altitude 
of  about  4,000  feet  is  covered  bv  a  somber 


*  Prof.  Flett  knows  tin-  Mountain  well.  He  lias 
spent  many  summeis  in  its  "parks,"  has  climbed  to 
its  summit  four  times,  has  visited  all  its  glaciers,  and 
iias  made  a  remarkable  collection  of  its  flowers.  In 
addition  to  the  chapter  on  the  botany  of  the  Natural 
Park,  this  book  is  indebted  to  him  for  several  of  its 
most  valuable  illustrations. 


THE  FLORA  OF  THE   MOUNTAIN   SLOPES 


91 


forest  of  ever- 
oreens  composed  of 
the  white  and  blaek 
pines:  D  ong'las, 
lovt'ly  anil  noble 
firs;  the  w  li  i  1  <' 
cedar;  spruce,  and 
hendock.  There  are 
found  ;ds()  several 
decidnous  trees  — 
large-leafed  maple, 
white  alder,  cotton- 
wood,  (jnaking  as- 
p  tM  1 .  \-  i  n  e  a  n  d 
s  m  o  o  t  h  leafed 
maples,  and  several 
species  of  wallows. 
Thus  the  silva  of 
the  lower  slopes  is 
highly  varied.  The 
forest  is  often  inter- 
r  u  p  t  e  d  by  the 
glacial  canyons,  and. 
at  intervals,  by  fire- 
swept  areas. 

The  alpine  mea- 
dows begin  to  ap- 
pear at  an  altitude 
of  about  5,000  feet. 

The  real  alpine  trees,  with  thcif  trim,  straight  trunks  and  di'oo|)iiig  hi-anclu's. 
are  in  strange  contrast  to  their  rehitives  of  the  lower  altitude.  The  principal 
trees  of  the  meadow  area  are  the  alpine  fir.  the  alpine  hemlock,  and  the  Alaska 
cedar.  These  constitute  the  greater  part  of  the  silva  of  Paradise  Valley.  There 
are  a  few  trees  of  the  lovely  fir  in  the  lower  part  of  the  valley,  and  a  few  white- 
barked  pines  overlooking  the  glaciers  at  timber  line. 

The  trees  of  the  park  zone  differ  greatly  on  different  slopes.  On  tlie 
northeast  and  east,  the  white-barked  ]un(^  and  Itie  alpine  spruce  form  no 
small  part  of  the  tree  groups.  The  white-barked  |)ine  l)ranches  out  liki'  the 
scrub  oak  on  the  prairie.  It  is  never  seen  at  a  low  altitude.  The  alpine  spi'uce 
bears  numerous  cones  all  ovei'  the  \vc{\  and  has  shai-p  leaves,  though  not  so 
sharp  as  its  relative,  the  tidelaiul  s|)ruee. 

Not  only  is  there  a  difference  in  the  ti-ees  on  the  dilTereiit  slo[)es  of  the 
Mountain,  but  there  is  a  marked  difference  in  the  herbaceous  plants  as  well. 
Hesperogenia  Strietlandi  is  a  small,  yellow  plant  ol'  the  celery  family.  This 
is  very   abundant,   both    in    Spray    Park   and   also    in    the   country    east   of  tlu' 


i^U^; 


A  14-foot  Fir,  near  Mineral  Lake 


Sunrise  in  Indian  Henry's  Park,  with  view  of  the  Southwest  Slope  and  Peak  Success,  showing  Purple  Asters,  with  bunches 

of  Hellebore  in  center  of  Flower  Field 


THE  FLORA  OF  THK  MOIXTAIX  SLOPES 


93 


^^::^4-'i 


(';ii-i)oii  (ihicit'i-.  I)iit  i-;ii'('  on  the  south  side. 
(;ili;i  Xiitt.illii.  ;i  hii't^c.  phh^x-like  plant,  is 
;il)iimhint  only  in  the  Indijin  Henry  reo'ion. 
Two  Jinenioncs,  one  hutlei'cup.  tliree  wiUows 
and  one  seneeio  seem  to  he  confined  to  the 
White  River  eonntry.  The  moss  campion 
lias  heen  found  only  on  Mowich. 

The  most  noticeal)le  and  abundant  flower 
on  all  slop(\s  is  the  avalanche  luy  (Erythron- 
ium  montanum) .  This  plant  comes  up  through 
several  inches  of  the  old  snow  crust,  and 
foi-ms  l)eautiful  beds  of  pure  white  flow^ers, 
lo  the  exclusion  of  nearly  all  other  plants. 
There  are  often  from  seven  to  nine  blossoms 
on  a  stem.  This  has  other  popular  names, 
such  as  deertongue  and  addertongue.  There 
is  also  a  yellow  species,  growing  with  the 
other,  but  less  abundant.  It  seldom  has  more 
than  one  or  two  flowers  on  a  stem.  The  yellow 
al|)ine  buttercup  generally  grows  with  the  erythroniums.     It  also  tries  to  rush 


An  eminent  scientist  practices  the  simple  life 
near  the  Timber  Line 


Fhiral  Carpet  in  Indian  Henry's  Park,  where  "Mountain  Heliotrope,"  more  properly  Valerian,  and  oihe 

flowers  abound  near  the  snow  line 


94 


THE   MOITXTAIN   THAT   WAS  "GOD" 


the  si'jison  by  coining-  up  lliroimli 
tile  stiow.  The  wcstci'U  jiiiciiioiic 
is  a  liltlr  more  cleliberat;'  luit  is 
found  ijuitc  near  the  snow.  It  nia\- 
1)1'  kiiMwn  by  its  l;i  \cn(l('r.  i>i'  [)nr|>l(' 
flowers;  and  hiter  liy  its  hii'iic 
plunie-likc  heads,  which  ai'e  no 
less  admired  than  the  lh)Wi'i-s  llicm- 
selves. 

The  plants  Just  mentioned  ni'e 
tile  harbingers  of  spi'in^-.  Follow- 
ing- them  in  rapid  succession  ;ii'e 
many  j)lants  of  vai'ious  hues.  The 
mountain  (hxdc.  mountain  dande- 
lion, and   poteii'illa   seldom    fail   to 


Mj^M 

^^^t^^H^^r ""  .^k  ^^^^^^^^B 

ni^^E  7  ^M 

^^9r    *    '  ;     ^B^^^jl^l 

Hl   ^jnjP'v/  1             .*^^ 

[      ''jI^ 

Ibhh 

tW&4  ..      "V""    '  ■     '^^^H 

WUBBBKBtM 

Alpine   Hemlock   and    Mountain  Lilies.      In  the 

struggle  for  existence  at  the  Timber   Line, 

Flowers  prosper,  but   Trees  light  for 

life  against    storm    and    snow. 


Mountain  Asters. 

appear  later.  The  asters,  often  wrongly 
called  daisies,  are  represented  by  several  spe- 
cies, some  of  which  blossom  early,  and  are 
at  their  best  along  with  the  spring  flowers. 
The  great  majority  of  the  composite  family 
bloom  later,  and  thns  prolong  the  gorgeous 
array.  The  lupines  add  much  to  the  beauty 
of  this  meadow  region,  both  at  a  low  altitude, 
and  also  in  the  region  above  timber  line. 
TluMf  l)i'ight  piu'ple  flowers,  in  long  racemes, 
with  palmate  leaves,  are  very  conspicuous  on 
the  grassy  slopes.  Between  timber  line  and 
8,500  feet,  Lyall's  lupine  grows  in  dense  silk 
mats,  with  dark  purple  flowers  —  the  most 
beautiful  plant  in  that  zone. 

Four  different  kinds  of  heather  are  found 
on  the  .Mountain.  The  red  heather  is  the 
largest  and  the  most  abundant.  It  grows  at 
a  lower  jilfitude  than  the  others,  and  is  some- 
times,   erroneously,    called    Scot(di    heatlier. 


LooUiriK   down    from    PlarmiEan  Ridce   into   tlie    Canyon  of    the    North  Mowich  Glacier  and   up   to   the  cloud-wreathed    Peak 


THE  FLORA  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN   SLOPES 


97 


Studying  the  Phlox. 


There  are  two  kinds  of  white  heather.  One  forms  a   prominent  part  of  the 

flora,  often  growing  with  the  red.     The  other  is  less  conspicuous  and  grows 

about  timber  line.     The  yellow  heather  also  grows  at  the  same  altitude,  and 

is   larger   and   more    common    than    the 

others.     It  often  forms  beautiful  areas 

where    other    vegetation    is    rare.     The 

white  rhododendron  is  a  beautiful  shrub 

of  the  lower  meadows.    Its  creamy  white 

blossoms   remind   one   of  the   cultivated 

azalea.     There  are  several  huckleberries. 

some  Avith  large  bushes  growing  in  the 

lower    forest    area,     others    small    and 

adapted  to  the  grassy  meadows. 

The  figwort  family  has  many  and  curi- 
ous representatives.  The  i-ose  -  purple 
monkey-flower  is  very  common  and  con- 
spicuous in  the  lower  meadows,  along  the 
streams.  It  is  nearly  always  accompan- 
ied by  the  yellow  fireweed.  Tlighci-  up. 
large  meadow  areas  are  arrayed  in  bright 
yellow  by  the  alpine  monkey-flower. 
Above  timber  line,  two  penlsiemons.  witli 
matted  leaves  and  short  stems  willi  hi-il- 

,.  ,  Tin  Squaw  Grass,  or  Mountain  Lily 

liant  purple  and  red  flowers,  cover  large  (Xerophyiium  tenax) 


Mosses  and  Ferns,  in  the  Forest  Reserve,  on  way  to  Longmire  Springs. 


THE  FLORA  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN   SLOPES 


99 


rocky  patches,  mixed  here 
and  there  with  lavender  beds 
of  the  alpine  phlox ;  while  the 
amber  rays  of  the  golden 
aster,  scattered  through  these 
variegated  beds,  lend  their 
charm  to  the  rocky  ridges. 
Tlie  Indian  paint-brush,  the 
speedwell,  the  elephant's 
trunk,  and  the  pigeon  bills 
are  all  well-known  members 
of  the  large  figwort  family 
wliich  does  much  to  embel- 
lish the  ]\Iountain  meadows. 
The  valerian,  often  wrongly 
called  "mountain  helio- 
trope," is  very  common  on 
the  grassy  slopes.  Its  odor 
can  often  be  detected  before 
it  is  seen.  The  rosy  spiraea, 
the  mountain  ash,  and  the 
wild  currant,  are  three  com- 
mon shrubs  in  this  area. 
There  are  also  numerous 
small  herbaceous  plants  of 
the  saxifrage  family,  some 
forming  dense  mats  to  the  exclusion  uf  other  plants.  The  mertensias,  pole- 
moniums,  and  shooting  stars  add  much  to  the  purple  and  blue  coloring. 

Two  liliaceous  plants  of  low  altitude  are  always  objects  of  marked  interest. 
The  Clintonia.  popularly  called  alpine  beauty,  begins  in  the  forest  area,  and 
continues  up  to  the  low^er  meadows.  This  nuiy  he  known  by  its  pure  white 
blossoms  and  blue  berries.  Its  leaves  are  oblong  in  tufts  of  from  two  to  four. 
They  spring  up  near  the  roots.  The  other  is  xerophyllum,  mountain  lily,  some- 
times called  sijuaw  grass,  because  it  is  used  by  the  Indians  in  basket  making. 
This  has  tall  stems  with  small  fi-agi'aiit  tiowers  and  coarse  grass-like  leaves. 

The  writci-  has  a  list  of  about  tlwcc  hnndi'ed  and  sixty  species  from  the 
Mountain.  H  int-hulfs  only  llowcriiig  |)lants  and  fci-ns.  Thci-c  ai-c  more 
than  twenly  type  s))ecies  named  from  tin'  Moniitain.  not  a  few  ol'  which 
are  foiuid  nowhere  else.  Its  geographical  position  makes  it  the  houmlai'y 
between  the  arctic  plants  fi'om  the  .\oi-1h  and  the  plants  of  Oi'egon  ami 
California  from  the  South.  Its  great  altitude  has  a  wonderful  effect  on  plant 
life.  A  good  example  of  this  is  seen  npon  the  trees  at  timber  liiu\  where 
twenty  feet  or  more  of  snow  rests  upon  theni  for  many  months.  Their  prostrate 
trunks  and  gnarled  branches  give  ample  testimony  to  their  extreme  struggle 
for  existence.     The  prevailing  wind  on  the  high  ridges  gives  direction  to  their 


Avalanche  Lilies  (  Erythroniuni  inontaniim)  forcing  their  way  through 
the  snow. 


100 


THE   MOUNTAIN   THAT  WAS  "GOD" 


I'lipyrig-ht.    limit.    b.\ 
Moraine  Park,  Sliiiskin  Mountains  and  Mystic  Lake. 


Asahel   Curtis 


Iniiiks  aiul  hranclies.  The  latter  hang  from  the  leeward  side,  giving  the  trees 
a  one-sided  appearance.  Where  the  ordinary  plants  cease  to  exist  the  snowy 
protococcus  holds  undisputed  sway  on  the  extensive  snow  fields.  This  is  a 
small  one-celled  microscopic  plant  having  a  blood  red  color  in  one  stage  of 
its  existence.  Tourists  often  wonder  what  animal  has  been  killed  on  the  snow. 
On  some  snow  fields  and  glaciers,  it  is  found  associated  with  a  small  black 
angle-worm.  The  writer  has  wondered  whether  the  plant  furnished  food  to 
this  little  black  wiggier  in  his  inhospitable  home. 

Plant  life,  on  the  Mountain,  as  is  well  known,  does  not  stop  at  the  snow 
line.  Even  in  the  crater,  on  the  warm  rocks  of  the  rim,  will  be  found  three 
or  four  mosses  — ■  I  have  noted  one  there  which  is  not  found  anywhere  else  — 
several  lichens,  and  at  least  one  liverwort. 


Canada  Dogwood  (Corniis  canadensis) 


Glacial  Debris  on  lower  part  of  Winthrop  Glacier,  with  Sliiiskiii  Mountains  beyond. 


V. 

THE   CLIMBERS 

Climb  the  mountains,  and  get  their  good  tidings.  Nature's  peace  will  flow  into 
you  as  sunshine  flows  into  trees.  The  winds  will  blow  their  own  freshness  into  you, 
and  the  storms  their  energy,  while  cares  will  drop  off  like  autumn  leaves. — John  Muir. 


GIVEN  good  muscles  and  wind,  the  other  requisites  for  an  ascent  of  the 
Mountain  are  a  competent  guide  and  grit.  It  offers  few  problems  like 
those  confronting  the  climber  of  the  older  and  more  crag-like  Alps. 

Tlici'c  nre  no  ixM-pcMidieulai-  cliffs  to  scale,  no  abysses  to  swing  across  on  a  rope. 


View  of   Paradise  Valley   from  Pinnacle  Peak,  with  South-side  Route  to  the  Summit.     The  route   starts  at   Reese's 

Camp,  crosses  the  snow-fields  above  Nisqually  Glacier,  follows  the  Cowlitz  Cleaver  nearly  to  Gibraltar,  then 

turns  east  to  avoid  crevasses,  passes  Gibraltar  from  East  to  West,  climbs  the  "Chute"  on  its  West 

side,  and  then  makes  the  straightest  line  the  crevasses  will  permit  for  Crater  Peak. 


THE  CLIMBERS 


103 


V 

Cijliyright.  IHIO,  C.  E.  Cuttri- 
The  Oldest  and  the  Youngest  of  the  Climbers, 
Gen.  Hazard  Stevens  and  Jesse  McRae. 
General  Stevens,  with  P.  B.  Van  Trump,  in 
1870,  made  the  first  ascent  of  the  Mountain. 
In  1905,  he  came  west  from  his  home  in  Bos- 
ton and  joined  the  Mazamas  in  their  climb. 
The  picture  shows  him  before  his  tent  in 
Paradise  Park.     He  was  then  63  years  old. 


If  you  can  stand  the  punishment  of  a  lono-, 
.steady,  np-hill  pull,  over  the  ice  and  loose 
rocks,  you  may  safely  join  a  pai-ty  foi-  llic 
summit.  Hut  do  not  try  it  without  yiiich's. 
The  fatal  end  of  Callaghan  and  Stevens, 
in  1909.  should  long  serve  as  a  warnino- 
against  trusting  to  experience  on  other 
mountains.  No  such  wilderness  of  crevasses 
and  shifting  snow  .slopes  should  he  attacked 
save  in  company  with  those  who  know  its 
trails. 

If  one  is  going  the  popular  route,  and  is 
equal  to  so  long  and  unbroken  a  climb,  he 
may  start  from  Camp  of  the  Clouds  at  dawn, 
and  reach  the  top  before  noon.  But  parties 
frequently  go  up  Cowlitz  Cleaver  in  tln^ 
evening,  and  spend  the  night  at  Camp  Muir. 
a  ledge  below  Gibraltar,  named  from  the 
famous  mountain  climber,  John  ]\Iuir.  and 
olt'ering  none  of  the  accommodations  of  a 
"camp"  save  a  wind-break.  The  important 
thing  is  to  pass  Gibraltar  early,  before  the 
sun  starts  the  daily  shower  of  icicles  and 
rocks  from  the  cliff  over  the  trail.  This  is 
the     most 


dangerous 
point,  but 
no  lives 
have  ever  been  lost  here.  Everywhere,  of 
course,  caution  is  needed.  Overconfidence 
may  prove  as  costly  as  it  did  to  Prof.  Edgar 
McClure,  of  the  University  of  Oregon,  who, 
in  1897,  was  killed  while  descending  from 
Camp  Muir  after  dark. 

The  east  -  side  route  involves  less  danger, 
perhaps,  but  is  a  longer  cliiid)  over  the  ice. 
It  has  been  less  used  because  it  is  farther  from 
Paradise  Valley.  Starting  from  a  night's  en- 
campment on  the  Wedge,  parties  usually  re- 
(|uire  half  a  day  to  reach  the  summit. 

The  Gibraltar  route  has  be(Mi  the  popular 
one  ever  since  Gen.  Hazard  Stevens  and  P.  H. 
Van  Trump,  on  July  17,  1870.  used  i1  in  the 
first  successful  ascent  of  the  Aloiintain.  Each 
of  these  pioneers  on  the  snuimil  has  published 


\ 


P.  B.  Van  Trump,  who,  with  Gen.  Stevens, 
made  the  first  ascent  in  1870. 


I'lifto   by   Lea   IJronsoii  c 'm|>\  liKlit.    \'M.i\K    by   V.    V .    Caesar 

Avalanche  falling  on  Willis  Wall,  at  head  of  the  Srual  Aniphithcalcr  ot  Carbon  (Ilacier.     The  Clift"  here,  up  to  the  Sno.v  Cap 

\  Isible  on  the  Summit,  is  more  than  4,0KI)  feet  high  and  nearly  perpendicular.     Avalanches  fail  every  day, 

but  this  picture  of  a  hig  one  in  action  is  probahly  unique  in   Mountain   Photography. 


106 


THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  "GOD" 


■■Pi 

■i 

'^"                                                             J^^' 

ii^^5B^ 

.^ 

^^^1 

R^ 

•. 

^^^^ 

1 

■»  ■           ^     i 

-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1 

^^^^^^^^^^^^H 

f.<^ 

^^^■H 

^H 

East  Side  ot  the  Mountain,  from  the  Wedge,  showing  Route  to  the  Summit  over  the  great  \V  hite  Glacier. 
This  is  the  easiest  and  safest  of  all  the  routes. 

a  noteworthy  account  of  how  they 
u'ot  there.  General  Stevens  in  the 
Athintic  Monthly  for  November, 
1876,  and  Mr.  Van  Trump  in  the 
second  volume  of  Mazama.  A 
month  after  their  ascent,  they  were 
followed  over  the  same  route  by 
INlessrs.  Emmons  and  Wilson  of 
tlie  Geological  Survey. 

Thirteen  years  before,  in  1857, 
Lieutenant  (later  General)  A.  V. 
Kautz,  with  several  companions, 
had  made  the  first  attempt  to  scale 
the  peak  of  which  we  have  any 
record.  He  climbed  up  the  arete, 
•or  spine,  between  the  glacier  now 
named  for  him  and  the  Nisqually 
glacier,  but  turned  back  on  the 
approach  of  night,  when  probably 
within  a  thousand  feet  of  the  sum- 
mit.   His  route  has  since  been  fol- 

Lateral  Moraine  of  Carhon  Glacier.     Mountaineers  budding  lowed    SUCCCSsfully     tO     the     tOp    by 

Trail.     Many  such  Trails  have  been  built,  and  more  SCVCral   partiCS,    thc   first,    I   belleVC, 

are  under  construction.     Without  them  the  ,.  ,i.  i?Tr  r^^  „1» 

.-T-    AC."      \At     V.  u  ■  A   A  l)ein2:    that    oi    Jlessrs.    Glascock 

Tenderfoot    would  fare  badly  indeed.  p/vm-,       m..u      v^^ 


THE  CLIMBERS 


107 


Mountaineers'  Camp,  Moraine  Park,  overlooking  head  of  Carbon  Glacier. 


and  Dudley  of  the  Sierra  Club,  of  San  Francisco,  in  1905.     The  White  glacier 

route  was  first  used  in  1885.    In  1891  Mr.  Van  Trump  reached  the  summit  over 

the    ridge    dividing    the    Tahoma 

glaciers.     The  first  woman  to  make       fpi^-   "fB^T^ 

the  ascent  was  Miss  Fay  Fuller,  of     "^ 

Tacoma,  in  1890. 

The  north  and  northwest  sides,  as 
I  have  said,  are  as  yet  unconquered. 
Some  members  of  the  Mountaineers' 
Club  have  a  theory  that  the  summit 
can  be  reached  from  Avalanche 
Camp  by  climbing  along  the  face  of 
the  cliff  known  as  Russell  Peak,  and 
so  around  to  the  upper  snow  field  of 
Winthrop  glacier.  They  have  seen 
mountain  goats  making  the  trip,  and 
propose  to  try  it  themselves.  Whether 
they  succeed  or  not,  this  trail  will 
never  be  poi)idai-,  owing  to  the  land- 
slides caused  by  the  daily  ebb  and 
flow  of  frost  in  the  loose  rock  ol' 
which  the  cliff  is  built. 

In  recounting  the  famous  ascents 
of  the  Mountain,  a  word  is  due  to 
the  work  of  three  well-known  clubs 
of  alpinists,  the  Mazamas,  of  Poi-1- 
land ;  the  Sierra  Club,  of  California, 
and  the  Mountaineers,  a  later  organi- 
zation, having  its  headquarters  in 
Seattle  and  Prof.  E.  S.  Meany  of  the 


University  of  Washington  as  its  en- 


Serracs,  or  Ice  Pinnacles,  Carbon  Glacier. 


•C    E 
=  H 


si 


S  :- 


■5  S 

C    "O 
7    = 


110 


THE  MOUNTAIN  THAT  WAS  "GOD" 


thusiastic  president.  The  Mazamas 
have  made  two  ascents,  with  large 
parties,  and  each  of  the  other  clubs 
has  made  one.  Many  members  of 
the  Appalachian  Club  and  of  Euro- 
pean organizations  of  similar  pur- 
pose have  climbed  to  Crater  Peak, 
either  in  company  with  the  West- 
ern clubs  named,  or  in  smaller 
parties. 

All  of  these  clubs  have  done 
much  to  make  the  INIountain  better 
known.  Each  of  the  Coast  socie- 
ties publishes  a  periodical.  The 
numbers  of  these  publications  de- 
scribing the  ascents  by  the  clubs 
are  of  scientific  value  as  well  as 
popular  interest. 

An  excellent,  though  incomplete, 
bil)liography,  prepared  by  INIiss 
i\Iary  Banks,  may  be  found  in  the 
^Mountaineer  for  November,  1909. 
It  covers  the  important  scientific 
publications  on  the  Mountain  thor- 
oughly, and  cites  a  large  number 
of  magazine  articles.  The  list  of 
publications  hitherto  wholly  de- 
voted to  the  subject  is  a  very  brief 
one,  the  chief  titles,  outside  of 
books  of  pictures  alone,  being 
James  Wickersham's  pamphlet  on 
the  name  ("Is  it  'Mt.  Tacoma'  or 
'Rainier,'  "  Tacoma,  1893).  Olin 
D.  Wheeler's  "Climbing  Mt. 
Eainier,"  St.  Paul,  1901,  and  Fred 
G.  Plummer's  "Illustrated  Guide 
Book  to  Mt.  Tacoma."  Tacoma,  no 
date. 

I  close  this  brief  essay  with  ex- 
pert testimony.  In  1883,  Prof.  Zit- 
tel,  the  German  scientist,  and  Prof. 
James  Bryce,  long  president  of  the 
British  Ali)ine  Club,  author  of 
"The  American  Commonwealth.'' 
and  now  British  ambassrdor  to  the 
United  States,  explored  our  great 


Asahel   Curtis 

Spray  Falls,  a  splendid  scenic  feature  of  the  North  Side,  where 

it  drops  more  than  five  hundred  feet  from  the  Spray  Park 

table-land  into  theCanyon  of  North  Mowich  Glacier. 


THE  CLIMBERS 


111 


i/opyri.^ht.    IIUO,    by    C.    E.    Cutter 

The  Mountain,  as  seen  from  a  high  ridge  in  the  Cascades  near  Green  River  Hot  Springs, 
showing  the  North  and  East  faces  of  the  Peak. 

peak.  Later,  these  famous  mountain  climbers  united  in  ijuhlishinp,'  a  note  on 
their  impressions.    They  said,  in  part: 

The  scenery  is  of  rare  and  varied  beauty.  The  peak  itself  is  as  noble  a  mountain 
as  we  have  ever  seen,  in  its  lines  and  structure.  The  glaciers  which  descend  from  its 
snow  fields  present  all  the  characteristic  features  of  those  in  the  Alps,  and  though  less 
extensive  than  the  ice  streams  of  the  Mount  Blanc  or  Monta  Rosa  groups,  are  in  their 
crevasses  and  serracs  equally  striking  and  equally  worthy  of  close  study. 

We  have  nothing  more  beautiful  in  Switzerland  or  Tyrol,  in  Norway  or  in  the 
Pyrenees,  than  the  Carbon  river  glaciers  and  the  great  Puyallup  glaciers.  Indeed,  the 
ice  in  the  latter  is  unusually  pure,  and  the  crevasses  are  unusually  fine.  The  com- 
bination of  ice  scenery  with  woodland  scenery  of  the  grandest  type  is  to  be  found 
nowhere  in  the  Old  World,  unless  it  be  in  the  Himalayas,  and,  so  far  as  we  know, 
nowhere  else  on  the  American  continent. 


Rctiirninti  froiii  the  Summit.     The  .Mountaineers  ending  a  memorable  outing  in  l')((9.     Winlhrop  Glacier 
in  foreground,  Sluiskin  Mountains  in  distance. 


NCH, 

iFOI^NIA 


LIST 

'LOS  ANGEli^S.  k^^LIF. 


LJLVAV^IXVX 


Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


LiNIVERSy^ 


\^Ntl 


OEC  09aS8Z 


URL 


SEP 


07^^^^'^ 


OCT  U  '98 


50m-7,'69(N29684) — 0-120 


%1? 


v^lOSANCElfx^ 


^1^MEUNIVER%        ^>:lOS-ANCElfj'^ 


^:0P 


JNVSOl^^' 


\W\ 


II 

AA    001  160  930    2 


^     ^ 

^     ^ 


II 1 II  mill  nil  nil  II  iiHii  II"  ii;"  "";"'•'•  Xnt 
3   1158  00401    175 


^  'i. 


\       rn 


\^EUNIVER! 


^.CiF' 


T         O 

9.     ^ 


^       > 


AMH 


"^      ^<!/0JllV3-JO^         ^J'J13DNVS0#" 


!FOP//,         A-OP-CAi 


v\EUNIVER5'//i 


>- 


JL.  ^? 


^^;OF■CALIFOI?^^^       ,^,OfCAllF0/ 


N^      ^^6 


